Endurance

Endurance. What comes to mind when you hear the word endurance? I think of a marathon race and the runner who is in the middle of the race, the tiredness is kicking in but the finish line is too good to give up on, so they keep putting one foot in front of the other.  

Endurance means to have the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions: stamina. (thank you Dictionary.com) 

So what does Endurance have to do with me?

Good question.

You are probably thinking that you have endurance, that you keep doing that same thing day in and day out, that nothing changes. Yes this does takes endurance. But I'm talking about endurance in church leadership. How do you sustain and continue even though everything seems to go wrong and it seems that everything that God has set up is fading away? Or when people keep stepping down or leaving your church and you feel like you're stretched beyond your capacity? How do you keep going when it felt like your tank was on empty kilometres ago?

The Bible often talks about endurance. In the New Testament, the letter writers often encourage the leaders and the church to run with endurance the race that is set before them. And again to run with Jesus as the prize. Why is this so important? Because they knew that the race isn't always easy. People so often want to give up or give in because it is too hard, it costs too much or they are too tired. But the scripture says to keep running, keep persevering for the prize is glorious!

2018 held a lot of stretching for me personally and as a team that I serve in. At the start of 2017, the team I serve in, had just had 2 leaders step down as they had just got married and were taking time to focus on their new chapter. That left 8 of us. Then during the course of 2018, we had two more leaders have their heads turned by girls (they were guy leaders) and they let their fascination become an obsession and it consumed their everything and they left, leaving the people we served devastated and us other leaders reeling, hurt and disappointed. Along this journey,  we didn't make all the right choices, fighting when we shouldn't have and not when we should've. But come to the end of 2018, we had 6 leaders but a solid team. It can be really tough when you head up a team and you see your leaders leave for things you believe are not right but God was doing something. First thing to endurance, always know that God is with you and he isn't aloft or asleep. Just because you can't see clearly or don't understand doesn't mean that he is not there or with you.

The second thing is decisiveness. Make a decision to have endurance and to be in for the long run. And be willing to do whatever it takes. If it means jumping though three hoops at a time do it and if you fail at it, get back up and go again. In December, my husband and I were stretched so much to the point where there were days where I could physically feel it. It isn't fun at all. My work was crazy at the time. I was working big shifts and the end of year craziness with things wrapping up for Christmas. But we had made the decision to endure, to do what was put in front of us for the Kingdom. Side note, we are both very involved in our church but we are able to do it simply because of the grace of God, it is not a matter of how much or how little you are involved, we can only do this by the grace of God. We were both physically exhausted and there were days where I would just cry, or get home from Youth Friday night after working a full day knowing that in a few hours I would have to be at work again and I would just cry in bed. Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing if it was what it took to achieve what was achieved for the Kingdom. We had made the choice and we were going to endure. We planted ourselves firmly and focused on Jesus, the end goal. So, decide. What are you going to do?

Thirdly, make sure you spend time in God's presence daily. This doesn't mean necessarily reading chapters upon chapters of the Bible daily in seclusion. Reality, not everyone has that opportunity. But everyone has the ability and the opportunity to be in his presence daily. During last December I didn't always read my Bible daily. Sometimes I would go for a few days without reading and even now, I don't read my Bible every day. But I try to always make time to pray and sometimes put worship music on. I love worship music and to me it is everything. Some people say you can spend time with God as you work. Well, my brain is chockers at work and sometimes my brain doesn't keep up with my job. But when I wash dishes at work, sometimes I have a moment and I start singing in my head a chorus or think on scripture or on God's goodness. On my bathroom mirror I wrote "I choose Joy" from a song by For King and Country and also "Peace is a promise you keep" from Hillsong Young and Free as daily reminders to have peace and to carry joy. We daily choose to have joy and peace and that helped to carry me through December. So find what is the way you can make time to connect with God. He meets you wherever and whenever, even when you're in the bathroom at 2am in the morning.

Fourthly, keep Jesus central. Don't forget Jesus. He is important. None of these things are possible without him. Don't get so caught up in the motion that you miss his tangible presence.

"Don't give up; don't be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep waiting - for he will never disappoint you." Psalm 27:14 TPT

Keep going, you mighty runner after God's heart. You are stronger than what you think when you rely on Jesus. He will sustain and carry you. You are not running around in circles. Keep looking up and focus on what God has you doing here and now. Don't let your vision get blurred or distracted. Encourage and keep encouraging those around you. You may never know that you're encouragement was what kept them running the race.

"As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us." Hebrew 12:1 TPT