Faith is Endurance
If you are a fan of sports, you will agree with this quote by Nick Saban, football coach of the University of Alabama, after narrowly winning against Texas University on Saturday, September 10, 2022. In a newspaper article entitled Lessons Learned during a Victory, in which Saban quotes, “What I told them was if you practice hard, the game is easy. If you don’t push yourself in practice, the game becomes hard.” Such a statement can correlate with life for every believer. Although believers will ultimately win the war because of their faith in Jesus, the ability to win individual battles depends on their capability to endure. Faith is Endurance.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1 KJV
I believe the author of Hebrew was a sports enthusiast since he uses an athletic analogy to illustrate the need for endurance. Determined athletes understand the value of training and appreciate the benefits of training at a higher level to reap long-term benefits. This level of training requires changing eating and sleeping habits while increasing workout endurance. Likewise, the Hebrew writer realizes the necessity of lightening one’s load to increase endurance when preparing to run a marathon which is why he states, lay aside every weight, and sin…run with patience the race...
Now, imagine the level of practice that Coach Saban will incorporate the following week after barely winning by one point. Although his team won, a narrow victory over a non-ranking team does not seem likely if the team expects to win another national championship. In this regard, the coach emphasized the importance of endurance during practice, which translates into high performance for the coming games. Likewise, the believers must understand that their current life is only a practice field for what God has waiting when this life ends. Those who exercise patience and perseverance, leading to the endurance of faith, will reap the benefits in the afterlife. Believers must remove the intangible hindrances and free themselves of unnecessary debauchery from selfish pleasures while exercising the endurance of faith like serious-minded athletes.
Remember, the Savior endured the ridicule, the shame, the betrayal, and even the agonizing and unbearable death on the Cross. Such endurance led to the reward of sitting on the right hand of God the Father. What can believers expect to receive when they endure struggles, trials, stress, and difficulties? Such endurance when doing kingdom work represents the needed challenges to obtain rewards in the heavenly realm. It is, therefore, important to keep in mind that despite the present disappointment, distress, and agony, your faith must endure to reap the benefits of the future.