A friend asked about perseverance. He happens to be an athlete but we all need perseverance in our lives.
Jogglers need it. I don't run too much anymore, my knees can't take it, but when I was running my wife coined the word "joggler" to describe my style, a combination of jogging and waddling. Years ago daughter Katie encouraged me to enter a 10K with her. She was a Big 12 Conference runner, has the trophies to prove it, and so she zipped through the race but this old joggler was struggling. I found the will to keep going when I imagined Katie waiting for me at the finish line, her approving smile welcoming me.
Faces help me persevere. Family members, friends, anyone who smiles approvingly helps keep me going. The dearest face of all is the face we anticipate seeing at the end of life's race. "Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face" (1 Corinthians 13:12). Press on! "You have said, 'Seek my face.' My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’" (Psalm 27:8).
Some Christians have taken the time to compose their own personal mission statement, in my opinion a useful thing to do. Their statements often go something like this: “I want to share Jesus in everything I do;” “My mission is to serve God in family and at work,” and the like. Fine, but they strike me as not being time specific. There are seasons of life, stages in the race, and we need to take them into account. For example, my daughters are married and raising young children. Their personal Christian mission statement would be different than their parents who are obviously closer to the end of the race. One part of my mission in this season of life is to share what I’ve learned. Hence this book. Your will to persevere through immediate problems should be one stage of the Spirit enabling you to run the entire race toward “the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:9). Where are you in the seasons of life? If you’re young and the climb is uphill, does the promise of blessing pulling you on? If you’re weary, do moments of devotional rest give you your second wind? And if you’re older and nearing the finish line, does the thrill of seeing Jesus invigorate your steps toward home? Joggle on! You have the promise of seeing Jesus. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
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