Excitedly Humble

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:4) (NIV)

Faith is a funny thing. Hebrews 11:1 defines it as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Having a faith in God produces hope, but nowhere in that verse—even in the entirety of the Bible—does it say having a faith will be easy. In fact, Jesus promises the opposite in Matthew 5:10-12 * and John 15:18-19 *.

From a worldly standpoint, life will not get “better.” Wealth, notoriety, and a life without pain are not descriptors of what your life will look like when you give it to Jesus. Instead, you can expect an uprooting of your identity, a dismantling of old habits and behaviors, and even persecution. Like I said, faith is not easy. What awaits us on the other side of the struggles, though, is worth every single hardship plus many more: eternal life with our loving Father, where pain and suffering are nonexistent. So, yes, faith produces hope, but it also forms perseverance—and that, my friends, is what we will be talking about today.

Man, if I had to pick one word that describes my faith journey so far, it would be perseverance. If you read my testimony, you will already know that these last four years of truly following the Lord have been anything but easy. I have spent a lot of time questioning God’s character, wondering where He has gone, and even believing that He didn’t really care. Prayers felt like they were falling on deaf ears. Desires that I had— and still do—seemed not to matter to Him. It felt like I had been abandoned in the wilderness.

What made matters worse was a perceived disconnect between my head and my heart when it came to God. I would see people feel deeply and have strong emotions towards God. They would tear up because of their love for Him. Or I would hear a tenderness in their tone of voice as they spoke about His goodness and what He was doing in their lives. There was excitement, passion, joy—even grief for sins they committed because they knew the effect it would have on their loving Father. It seemed like everyone around me had this deep connection with God, and here I was, feeling nothing.

I knew and believed that God was good, but I didn’t feel anything. I knew and believed He cared for me and loved me, but I didn’t feel anything when that was spoken over me. I knew and believed everything about God’s character was true, but I still didn’t feel anything. I also knew that I loved Him, but I couldn’t tell you that I felt anything to accompany that. There were no tears at His goodness, no tender tones in my voice, no awe, no passion, no excitement. Everything was in my head, but it didn’t seem to be reaching my heart. I believed that my relationship with the Lord was less than those around me because there was no feeling behind it. All I had was knowledge and belief in what His Word said about Him.

I prayed about this—repeatedly. I cried out to God, asking Him to change my heart, to break down that wall or whatever it was that was preventing me from connecting with Him. I prayed and prayed, but nothing changed. I fell into a destructive emotional cycle that caused me to question whether God even wanted a closer relationship with me. I got to a point where, if I didn’t know God was real—if I hadn’t had an encounter with Him—I would have walked away from my faith. All it was bringing me was emotional pain and suffering. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I don’t know if I can accurately describe how difficult that time was.

Why am I sharing all this? Because a majority of my walk with the Lord has been fueled by perseverance—not because of what He has given me (I’m not referring to eternal life with the Father here),or the feelings I had for Him. I knew He sent His Son to take my place on a cross so that I could have eternal life. I pushed through the lack of feelings and continued forward towards the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14) * because He is worthy to be glorified and obeyed. Having faith has most certainly formed perseverance in me.

What exactly is perseverance? Why do we do it? What does the Bible say about it, and how can we do it well?

What is Perseverance?

According to Google, the definition of perseverance is “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.” It’s a good definition but the Bible trumps Google every time, so let’s look at what the Bible says.  

Colossians 1:23 says, “if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” (NIV)

James 1: 2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be complete, not lacking anything.” (NIV)

Philippians 3:13-14 says, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

This is my interpretation, but from a biblical lens, perseverance is pressing on through trials while keeping your eyes and heart focused heavenward—not bowing to the struggles and hardships but fighting because of what God has done for us and what He has promised. I also once heard perseverance described as “not only enduring situations of suffering but overcoming them with obedience, hope, and joy.” In Romans 5:3-4, Paul says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (NIV) Persevering is difficult, but when we know the purpose and who we are persevering for, we can do it with hope and joy, while also cultivating the humility required for obedience.

Perseverance in the Old Testament

I have already touched on some different references to perseverance in the Bible, but there are plenty more—both in the Old and New Testaments. Here are some examples of perseverance in the Old Testament:

• Abraham (and Sarah):
  • The story of Abraham and Sarah is a classic example of persevering and what the Lord will do for His faithful servants. In Genesis 18, we see that both were advanced in years and past childbearing age. They had been unable to conceive a child, but the Lord told Abraham that Sarah would become pregnant with a son, and after 90 years, Isaac was born. They were faithful through it all, and the Lord blessed them because of it.
• Moses
  • Moses’ perseverance appeared in a different way. He led the Israelites to freedom (Exodus 14: 21-22), but what followed was 40 years in the wilderness with a sinful people who turned their backs on God multiple times. Out of obedience to the Lord, Moses bore with the Israelites to fulfill what the Lord had called him to do.
• Joseph
  • Joseph’s story may be one of the most powerful examples of what perseverance with the Lord looks like. Joseph was favored by his father, Jacob, and he had two dreams that prophesied his brothers would bow to him one day. This angered his eleven brothers, and they conspired against him, selling him into slavery. He was later imprisoned because of lies, where he spent many years. He eventually gained favor in the eyes of some influential people in Egypt and was appointed over Egypt, where his brothers would indeed bow to him. Not only did Joseph have to wait for what was prophesied, but his waiting included suffering in many different forms. He remained loyal to God throughout it all, and God delivered Him from suffering into blessing.
• Job
  • If you read the story of Job, it is forty-two chapters of perseverance. He is put to the test through many kinds of suffering. He lost his property, his children, and endured painful physical ailments. Even through the suffering, he did not lose his faith in God. He had every reason to shake his fist at his Creator, but he remained faithful and God blessed him for it.

Why Do We Persevere?

So, why do we persevere, even when it’s tough? The answer is simple, really: because Jesus did. There are several places in the Gospels where Jesus predicts His death. He knew the fate that awaited Him but continued forward, knowing it was the Father’s will. He endured so that we may have eternal life. Not only should we follow his example—that is what we, as Christians, seek to do—but He also paid the ultimate price for us, suffering so that we would not be doomed to the same fate. We persevere because He persevered. We persevere because He is worthy of it.

If Jesus isn’t reason enough (He should be), we persevere because this world is a dark place. Evil surrounds us, looking for ways to draw us away from God. Temptation is everywhere, and if we do not stand firm in our faithfulness to the Lord, we risk drowning in the darkness and all that comes with it. Those who are truly following the Lord have a hope that breaks through that darkness, and it is because of that hope that we can persevere even in the hardest of times.

What Does Perseverance Produce in Us?

• Spiritual growth and maturity.
  • When we are faced with trials in our lives, we have two options: lean on the Lord or strive in our own strength. Which option you choose will determine what that trial produces in you, but if you lean on the Lord, you are guaranteed to grow and mature in your faith—there is no way you couldn’t. He will use the struggle to teach you an important lesson, and that is something you will carry with you the rest of your life. You will grow and mature in each trial if you lean on the Lord and let Him walk with you. That is why Paul says we should rejoice in our sufferings in Romans 5:3-4.
• Demonstrations of our faith.
  • We are saved by grace through faith, not by the works we do or how people perceive our faith. I want to emphasize that. Just as leaning on the Lord inevitably produces spiritual maturity, truly pursuing Him is inevitably reflected in daily life. We are to have active faiths, not lukewarm or apathetic ones. When we persevere through trials while leaning on the Lord, still seeking His face amid the strife, we are demonstrating active faith. It is a true faith that continues through the hard times, even when it seems like we are “getting nothing in return”.
• Steady hope and encouragement.
  • Again, Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV). Not only did Jesus’ sacrifice allow us a way back into the presence of the Father, but it also gave us the gift of hope. Even in the hardest trials, we can hope for what is promised to us by God Himself. This world and its sufferings are only temporary, so in the midst of them, we can be encouraged that whatever we are going through will pass.

How Do We Persevere?

• Be honest with God.
  • It is okay to feel sad. It is okay to feel frustrated or even angry. It is okay to dislike the circumstances you find yourself in, as long as you it to God. He wants you to come to Him with everything. Take your hurts and frustrations to Him. He is the giver of peace and joy, so seek those things rather than sitting in the hurt. It will not surprise Him—He already knows what you are thinking and feeling anyway. He is not going to automatically fix it, though. He wants relationship with you, and relationships are not a one-way street.
• Find the people that will mourn with you but also hold you accountable.
  • Surround yourself with a strong, godly community that will bear your burdens with you. We were made to be in relationship with one another, so it is important that you have a good community around you. A good community is not one that will let you sit in the darkness for long, though. A good community will bear your burdens with you, but it will also call you higher and encourage you not to remain stagnant. One of the most harmful things you can do in a season of struggle is surround yourself with people who will only encourage the pain, frustration, or bitterness. This can have disastrous implications.
• Focus on what is good, not what is bad.
  • This was a hard one for me. It is difficult to see the good when all you see or feel is bad. It is easy to become consumed with what you lack or how you wish things could be, rather than thanking God for the blessings you do have. Even if it is something small, focus on what God has given you instead of dwelling on what you wish were different.
• Discipline.
  • Depending on what is causing the need for perseverance, reading your Bible, praying, or worshipping the Lord may be the last thing you want to do—but it does not matter. Reading His Word, talking to Him, or singing His praises are the things that will help redirect your mind toward what is good. His Word is where we are filled up and where we grow closer to Him, so neglecting spending time with Him because of your circumstances will only harm you further. It may be a few verses a day or a short Psalm. It does not have to be much, but make sure you are going to God daily. You will be thankful you did once you are able to see what the perseverance was for.
• Take control over your thoughts.
  • It may not seem like we have control over our thoughts, but we do. We may not be able to control what pops into our minds, but we can control whether we indulge those thoughts. We can let a thought dictate our mood, or we can redirect our thoughts and focus on truth. We have choices. It is not easy and takes a lot of work, but it is a game changer. More on this in an upcoming blog post.

I am happy to report that things are different for me now. The Lord has taught me so much this past year about feelings and what a relationship with Him truly looks like. I can say with gratitude to the Lord that I am no longer in that destructive emotional cycle, and I can now look back on those years and see their purpose. Yes, having faith is still not easy. I do still struggle with some of the same thoughts, and perseverance is still required in some areas of my life.  However, He has brought me through to the other side, and I can now see why perseverance is necessary. I am who I am today because of it.

May we all choose to persevere toward the narrow gate, where our gracious and loving Father awaits.

*Matthew 5:10-12 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (NIV)

*John 15:18-19 –“ If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (NIV)

*Matthew 7:13-14 – “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (NIV)