The Joy of Perseverance
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And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
– Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
When I was a child, we spent our summers at the ballpark. Three of Dad’s girls loved softball, and Dad loved coaching.
Early on all ballplayers were taught to keep their eye on the ball. If up to bat, watch the ball as you swing, or you’ll miss connecting. When in the field, think ahead what you’ll do if the ball comes your way. And when it does, keep your eye on the ball. If you don’t, you’re likely to drop it. Then the runner may advance and your team might lose the game.
Just like we were taught to carefully watch the ball, Hebrews tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus while we run the race God has for us. To persevere to the end, to keep from “dropping the ball” in life, we need to keep our eyes on our leader and our goal.
Playing sports is like our walk of faith. Practice is imperative. And knowing the end goal helps us have joy in the journey.
For a nine-year-old playing outfield, where’s the joy in staying focused? And for believers on this earth, how do we train ourselves to pay attention to God moment by moment? To persevere? To keep on keeping on?
For me as a young ballplayer, there was joy in our team’s camaraderie. The hope of winning spurred us to work hard in practice and during a game. The idea of giving up didn’t exist. And pleasing my dad and my coach helped me endure the hot sun, the dusty air, and the physical hurts that came with playing hard.
Hebrews 12 tells us Jesus persevered on this earth because He knew why He was here and where He was going. The joy set before Him included being at the right hand of the Father and preparing a place for those who love Him. His love for God and for us drove Jesus to endure every test He encountered.
And so it is for us as we walk day by day. Difficulties come. Hardships and pain stun us. And the pleasures of this world distract us. But just like that child in the outfield who learned to endure and stay focused on the game, we learn to persevere in the faith. We have a cloud of witnesses who encourage us and a victory already assured. By keeping our eyes on Jesus and remembering the joy we have because of Him we can run our race well.
The Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. Thankfully we live it one day at a time. So day by day, let’s focus on our Lord Who is our Leader and our Goal. And the joy of perseverance will be ours.
Questions for Reflection:
1. What does Isaiah 40:31 say we should do when we struggle to persevere?
2. What does Nehemiah 8:10 tell us is our strength? How can this help us run our daily race well?
3. Compared to eternity, life here is short. Struggles come, but there is great joy waiting for us. What is the joy 2 Timothy 2:12 tells us is ours if we persevere?
