Endurance is the ability or strength to continue or last. This strength enables you to hold out against or bear something with patience or without resistance. It is a muscle that we need to develop, not only as a physical discipline but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
We share DNA but we all have our own personal, custom-made stories. These stories have been written through pre-destined, unpredicted and personal choices. Situations and circumstances come to us, either making or breaking us dependent upon our response. Life has a way of teaching us about the power of endurance, known as the fruit of longsuffering (Galatians 5:22).
This muscle needs to be exercised daily. It does not develop over-night or grow through inconsistency but is nourished through training that must be maintained and allowed to be built within us and our lifestyles.
Endurance requires a dual walk. Firstly to deny and overcome ourselves and secondly to have a hope for the end.
A great visual of where the dual walk with endurance takes place is in the film ‘Run, Fatboy, Run’. A light-hearted comedy based on an out-of-shape man named Dennis (actor Simon Pegg) who decides to run a marathon to win back his son and ex-girl friend, of whom he jilted on their wedding day five years ago.
During the marathon Dennis meets physical opposition and injures his ankle. The hope of winning his family back allows him to endure through the injury. As he continues to run he becomes tired, not only physically but now mentally and emotionally. His friend notices and says “Oh no, he’s hit it”, before you know it we see a wall standing between Dennis and the finishing line.
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Life has its way of impacting a person. Agent David Rossi from the TV series ‘Criminal Minds’ once quoted in an episode “life is a hell of a thing to happen to a person”. Situations and circumstances come at us left, right and centre. We even get some curve balls along the way. Things can get the better of us but we are supposed to withstand (Ephesians 6:16), enduring to overcome them and not bow down to them. Not letting something or someone get the best of you is a process of denying yourself (Luke 9:23, 1 Corinthians 15:31).
People in sport do not only train physically but also mentally and emotionally. We are to do the same but also spiritually, to throw off anything that causes us to fall away or weighs us down. To keep these weights off us we must also see the finishing line, have a hope.
1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
We need the grace of God, His freely given unmerited favour and love, to achieve this. In order to deny ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, as well as have a hope, we need a strength that is not our own. Endurance is strength to continue, the grace of God is the dependent source we need to endure this race of life with Him.
Going back to the film, within the space of seconds an individual brick is removed from the wall to reveal another visual of Dennis encouraging himself to continue the race. Choosing to deny himself and keep hold of his hope, he endures the race until the end.
The Holy Spirit is our helper (John 14:16, 26). He helps usher us into the presence of God as we come through the son, Jesus, and go straight to the father (Ephesians 2:18). He is our mental, spiritual, emotional and at times, physical trainer. He helps us access the power of endurance that not only externally transforms us but also internally cultivates within us. We partake in this fruit of longsuffering.
In order to endure we must rely upon the continual current of the grace of God and the Holy Spirit to cultivate the muscle of ‘endurance’ that we need to run our race. Not only run our race but also run it well and finish.
BY: STACEY SPENCER
Video source: Kyle P on https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCxTHR0yxE2YR8xz-e0NMPqg