Hebrews 10:32-39
Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse—some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn’t touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.
It won’t be long now, he’s on the way;
he’ll show up most any minute.
But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust;
if he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy.
But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
On the television show “The Biggest Loser,” contestants discover that losing weight and seeing results happens more quickly at the beginning than the end. In fact, as these participants become lighter and leaner, it becomes harder with each passing week to shed the last pounds and inches. Progress is still possible, but the thrill of those first few weeks and the truly drastic changes are gone. This is where the real work begins.
It’s easy to become discouraged… or at least complacent. After all, some of these contestants have dropped 100 pounds or more. Losing that last stubborn 15 to 50 seems akin to climbing Mt. Everest. There is a temptation to reward all of the hard work with a favorite dessert… or to skip a workout here and there. After all, the entrant has come so far… what would it hurt? OR… the challenge may be finishing. The desire to keep going and lose the rest may wane… settling for the current weight and size may seem appealing. This is when the patient endurance must kick in and keep these contestants going. They have made it this far… reached countless milestones… and they must keep going and finish strong!
In our Christian faith, we often seem to lose steam after a while. The spark and excitement of our initial salvation experience may pale. Our encouragement and support from others may wane… and our inner resolve to forge ahead and continue to grow with the Holy Spirit can fade. We’ve come so far… God has given us so much… maybe we could just stop and rest here a while! And many of us do exactly that. The trouble is… too many of us grow stale at our “resting point.” We settle for a “good enough” relationship with the Holy Spirit - and miss out on all He wants to give us by doing so.
Just as in a weight-loss program that we hope will bring permanent, lasting results, we must practice patient endurance as we grow in our faith. We must keep on “keepin’ on,” continue to study, pray, fellowship and learn. We must not “rest on our laurels” – or on the blessings we have received from God already. We cannot quit! We have to keep trusting God for outcomes, learning how He works, and expecting His promises to be fulfilled. We have to wait on the LORD in all things… and believe that He will show up, right on time!
This is a tall order… but such a “sure thing” as the blessings and rewards of a life in Christ is certainly worth it! Are you ready to press forward and persevere? Are you still “in the game” and trusting all the way? Will you make it to the Finish Line with Jesus… or will you give up and quit? The choice is yours… what will you decide?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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