Suffering Well
This month our church is talking about Perseverance.
Learning how to suffer well is essential to the Kingdom of God because in order to build each other up we must first go through some things. We have to be able to understand each other and know how to endure. There’s a scripture that speaks about the race is not given to swift or the strong but to the one who endure to the end. With endurance you must have perseverance. They go hand in hand. Perseverance gives us the fortitude to endure to the end.
Imagine you’re getting ready for a huge event but YOU’VE never worked this type of event before or even anything of its magnitude but you endure to the end. Perseverance kicked into gear and you endured.
It’s the same way with everything God places in front of us. He gives us tasks to do and in our obedience we can persevere and endure to the end of the task because:
1. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
2. The race isn’t given to the swift or the strong but to the one who will endure to the end. Ecclesiastes 9:11
3. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
The Bible tells us to hide the word in pile hearts so we won’t sin against God. No, we definitely don’t want to sin against God but we also need reminders to tell us how BIG He is in our lives. How much He loves us. How much He cares about what we care about. So when the suffering comes. God has already prepared us for the journey ahead and that’s how you suffer well. I dare you to get by yourself (or in public) and remember how God saw you through some tough times and begin to praise Him just for that moment and then when you know he did it then and he can do it AGAIN… PRAISE HIM AGAIN!!
💪🏾 Today is the first day this week that I closed all of my rings. Only because God saw me through it.
May God’s love rest upon you.
🙏🏾 Prayer:
God, thank You for another day’s journey. Lord thank you for placing in us all we need to get through every obstacle. Grants us a peace of mind that in whatever we do you are always there to help us and remind us who you are. For anyone who gazes upon this message. I pray that whatever storm or dry season they are in that you will remind them who they are and whose they are. That they use one of these scriptures to get them through another day’s journey and for those who do not know you, I pray that you will show them who you are and that you love them. That no matter where they are in life that you can fix it and if they want to be saved all they have to do is 1. admit they are a sinner. 2. Believe in your son Jesus and His death burial and resurrection. 3. Confess from their mouth that Jesus is Lord.
God I pray your will over everyone who sees this. In Jesus name. Amen!! #Jesus4all
We all face seasons where it feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders, and finding the strength to keep going seems impossible. I remember a period recently when I felt completely overwhelmed, juggling work, family, and personal commitments. Every day felt like an uphill battle, and the thought of giving up crossed my mind more than once. But it was in those moments of struggle that the true importance of perseverance through the trials of life truly hit home for me. It’s easy to talk about endurance when things are going smoothly, but real perseverance kicks in when you're exhausted, discouraged, and questioning everything. For me, connecting with a deeper purpose and spiritual strength has been a game-changer. It's not about pretending everything is fine; it's about acknowledging the pain, the difficulty, and still choosing to take one more step forward. It's about remembering that even in our weakest moments, there's a strength available to us that goes beyond our own. Sometimes, this perseverance manifests in surprising ways. Just last week, for instance, I was celebrating a small victory: closing all my activity rings on my fitness tracker. It might sound trivial, but after a really demanding day, hitting those goals—Move (990/800CAL), Exercise (68/40MIN), and Stand (13/10HRS)—felt like a massive win. I had logged 7,602 steps, covered 3.36 miles, and completed various workouts like Core Training, Outdoor Walk, and High Intensity Interval Training. My body was tired, but pushing through that physical discomfort became a powerful reminder of how discipline and a resilient spirit translate into every area of life. If I could endure that physical challenge, I could certainly face the mental and emotional ones. It was a tangible example of not giving up, even when every fiber of my being wanted to rest. Developing perseverance isn't a one-time event; it's a daily practice. It involves intentionally focusing on gratitude, even for the smallest blessings, and anchoring yourself in hope. For me, this means taking time each day to reflect on past challenges I’ve overcome and the lessons learned. It’s about reminding myself that just as I was seen through tough times before, I will be seen through whatever I’m facing now. This mindset shift helps cultivate an inner fortress, allowing you to not just 'suffer' through, but to 'suffer well,' finding growth and meaning in the midst of adversity. It's a journey of continuous faith, embracing the understanding that every obstacle is an opportunity to strengthen your resolve and deepen your reliance on a greater power.