We are quickly approaching the end of our study on love, and I find it very fitting that perseverance is the next to the last attribute in the list of the way we are to love. To persevere is to endure whatever life throws your way. Easier said than done, right? The truth is, no matter how much you take all the other parts of love and put them into practice in your daily life, sometimes life feels impossible to endure.
When something goes wrong in our lives, it can feel that everything is going wrong. Our world is crumbling before our eyes, and we feel helpless to stop the destruction. We try to be kind and patient with ourselves, but the thoughts of self-doubt and self-sabotage start to creep into our minds. Our perseverance is faltering. We feel so weak at times that a feather could knock us to our knees.
There have been many moments in my life when I did not know if I could continue. It felt it easier to give up on myself. Easier to give in to the pressures of the world and not follow God’s plan for my life. You see, Satan makes his path seem to be the easy path. The way of the world is all shiny and covered in glitter, but the truth is, right underneath the surface is rot and decay. It is just a shell of happiness. Walking the pathway of Christ may seem dull and not offer us all that glitters in this world, but it does offer for us a place in Heaven. And no amount of earthly glitter can outshine the promise of Heaven.
It’s easy to say, just stand firm in God’s word. Just keep going; just persevere. But without the proper foundation of knowing how to love yourself, you will not be able to stand firm. You will be washed away like a house built on the sand. It is so important that we put all of the proper ways to love into practice. If we truly learn how to love ourselves the way 1 Corinthians 13 says, perseverance comes much easier. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Paul so beautifully depicts our Christian walk in Philippians 3. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 Paul urges us to forget our past and to not lose sight of the goal of Heaven, to press on to our prize. Jesus has given us all the tools we need to achieve the goal of Heaven, if we persevere in this life and continue to press towards our prize.
This week’s recipe is time saver for sure! Not only is it super yummy, but it is a fast supper for busy school days with leftovers perfect for the school lunchbox. I hope you enjoy this recipe is much as my family does.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5
November 14, 2024
