JESUS ADDS PERSEVERANCE TO MY FAITH
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance..." 2 Peter 1:5-6
Jesus completes His knowledge with self-control, changing my understanding of Him to my Lord and Master. When Jesus adds His perseverance to His self-control, He changes my attitude to one of hope and expectancy.
What Is Perseverance?
At the root of perseverance is the idea of abiding. When I am abiding, I am patiently waiting. And when I am patiently waiting on the Lord, I am persevering.
When I think I need patience, I am usually focused on what I think I need. But when I am abiding, I am focused on what God wants.
John writes:
"Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." 1 John 2:10-11
When I am abiding, I am walking in the light. I am no longer walking in darkness, where I am prone to stumbling and falling. As I abide in Christ, I begin to see more clearly what God desires for me.
Abiding Changes My Attitude
As I begin to see God's will more clearly, my hope begins to grow. I hope for Jesus to fill me, fulfill my needs, and complete me.
Then something remarkable begins to happen. As Jesus proves Himself faithful time after time, my hope grows into expectancy. I begin to expect Jesus to be faithful because He has proven Himself faithful again and again.
That is abiding. That is persevering.
My perseverance is not based upon my ability to endure. It is based upon the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
Self-Control Prepares Me to Persevere
Before I can truly abide and persevere, I first need self-control so that my emotions, fears, and distractions do not prevent me from seeing clearly the true Way, Jesus Christ.
Self-control quiets my heart so I can remain focused on Him. When my emotions tell me to react, self-control helps me wait.
When fear tells me something is going wrong, self-control helps me look to Jesus. When circumstances tempt me to give up, perseverance reminds me to abide.
I don't have to know what Jesus is going to do next. I simply need to remain with Him and trust that He knows exactly what He plans to do next.
His Will Becomes My Will
As I persevere, Jesus continues cleansing and purifying my mind and my thoughts so that I can bear much fruit for Him. As He cleanses me, my desires begin to change.
I begin to want His will more than my own.
Jesus gives me His perseverance so that, as He abides in me and I abide in Him, His will increasingly becomes my will. That changes everything.
My attitude changes from frustration to hope, from uncertainty to expectancy, and from insisting on my own way to patiently waiting for His.
I can persevere because I know the One for whom I am waiting. And I know He is faithful.
What Have I Learned?
Faith gives me confidence and trust in God.
Virtue changes my outlook to an eternal perspective.
Knowledge changes my identity by helping me understand that I am a child of God.
Self-control changes my understanding of Jesus as my Lord and Master.
Perseverance changes my attitude to one of hope and expectancy.
I don't have to become discouraged when God's answer doesn't come when I want it to.
I don't have to give up when circumstances become difficult.
I don't have to understand everything God is doing.
I can abide. I can wait. I can expect Jesus to be faithful.
Reflect
What difficulty is testing my perseverance right now?
Am I abiding in Jesus each day, or am I trying to control the outcome myself?
Where do I need to replace frustration with hope and expectancy?
How has Jesus proven Himself faithful to me in the past?
Prayer
Father, thank You that I do not have to face difficult seasons on my own. Help me remember how faithful You have always been, knowing that You will continue to be faithful.
Jesus, teach me to abide in You and patiently wait for Your will instead of insisting on mine.
Holy Spirit, when my emotions, fears, or circumstances distract me, give me self-control to keep my eyes focused on Jesus. Fill me with hope when I am discouraged and perseverance when I cannot see what You are doing.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
May you be blessed!
Chaplain Wayne Ruckman
Comments