Endurance
I've been running a lot lately. I used to say that my body wasn't built for running. And while there are still days when I think that's true, I really enjoy it. It's taken me several months to build up to being able to run anywhere from 40-60 minutes without stopping. I remember the days when 10 minutes was a stretch! An hour is a major accomplishment.
It's all about building endurance, a process which takes a lot of time, energy, and commitment. Consistently I've had to build up my mileage and my time in order to get to this point (and compared to many I'm a running lightweight). At times it hurts. But it has led to me having a much better ability to keep going long after I would've thrown in the towel before...something I need when I'm out playing soccer with my son!
Thinking about our adoption situation the other day, it became clear to me that one of the things God is doing in us is building our spiritual endurance. This, just like with running, requires a lot of time, spent energy, and steadfast commitment in our faith. But what is beautiful is that it allows us to get through future challenges without being so easily "winded"...without putting so much physical, emotional, or spiritual strain on us.
Honestly I think this has been the most challenging season of my life...even more so than some of the tough years of my childhood after my parents separated. But God is obviously working amid the crises, building us up as the world continually tries to wear us out and steal away from us everything that is precious. The fact that we can see that truth at all shows that we've made progress...that we're way past the 10-minute run.
I did a search on biblegateway.com for the word endurance in the New Testament (NLT). If you'd like to check out the results, they're here.
I also did a search on blueletterbible.org, looking into the Greek word used in most of these passages. If you're interested in checking that out, go here.
It's all about building endurance, a process which takes a lot of time, energy, and commitment. Consistently I've had to build up my mileage and my time in order to get to this point (and compared to many I'm a running lightweight). At times it hurts. But it has led to me having a much better ability to keep going long after I would've thrown in the towel before...something I need when I'm out playing soccer with my son!
Thinking about our adoption situation the other day, it became clear to me that one of the things God is doing in us is building our spiritual endurance. This, just like with running, requires a lot of time, spent energy, and steadfast commitment in our faith. But what is beautiful is that it allows us to get through future challenges without being so easily "winded"...without putting so much physical, emotional, or spiritual strain on us.
Honestly I think this has been the most challenging season of my life...even more so than some of the tough years of my childhood after my parents separated. But God is obviously working amid the crises, building us up as the world continually tries to wear us out and steal away from us everything that is precious. The fact that we can see that truth at all shows that we've made progress...that we're way past the 10-minute run.
I did a search on biblegateway.com for the word endurance in the New Testament (NLT). If you'd like to check out the results, they're here.
I also did a search on blueletterbible.org, looking into the Greek word used in most of these passages. If you're interested in checking that out, go here.
posted by Michael Shattuck at
2:45 AM
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