A Christ-follower with a limp: perseverance

Showing posts with label perseverance. Show all posts

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Run Well, End Well!

“Faith-healing is grand, but faith-enduring is grander.” Charles Spurgeon

In 1983, Australia hosted its ultramarathon, a 573.7 mile foot race from Sydney to Melbourne. It’s a race that takes days to run, and professionals from all over the world came to participate. Shortly before the race began, a 61-year-old sheep herder named Cliff Young, wearing overalls and goulashes over his boots—walked up to the registration table and requested a number to enter the race. The folk at the registration table thought it was a joke—that somebody was setting them up—so they laughed.

But Cliff Young said, “No, I’d really like to run.” Well, people still thought it was a joke, but they gave him a number anyway and pinned it on his old overalls. He walked over to the start of the race. All the other professional runners, who were decked out in all their running regalia, looked at him like he was crazy. The crowd snickered. People began to laugh. They laughed even more when the gun went off and the race began, because all those professional runners with sculpted bodies and beautiful strides made their way out—and began to run, but not Cliff Young. He didn’t even run like a runner. Cliff Young ran with an awkward, goofy-looking shuffle. All through the crowd people were laughing, and finally, someone called out, “Get that old fool off the track!”

Well, five days, 14 hours, and four minutes later, at 1:25 in the morning, Cliff Young shuffled across the finish line of the 573.7-mile ultramarathon. Cliff Young had won the race! And he didn’t win by a nose, with the guy in second right on his heels. He didn’t win by a matter of minutes or even an hour or two. The second-place runner was nine hours and 56 minutes behind. He had set a new world record for the ultramarathon. It was unbelievable. He became an instant hero in Australia. The press mobbed him wondering what kind of special running shoes he must have had, and they rummaged through his backpack wondering what he’d survived on. They discovered he’d lived primarily on pumpkin seeds and water. But that wasn’t the secret of his victory. You see nobody ever told Cliff Young that when you run in the ultramarathon, you run for 18 hours straight, and then you stop and sleep for three or four hours. So Cliff Young shuffled his way to victory without ever sleeping. He endured running five days, 14 hours, and four minutes non-stop at the age of 61.

That’s how Christians run. We’re empowered by Jesus Who lives in us we run with endurance always keeping our eye on the goal. We never stop pursuing that goal. We persevere. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.”

If you’re not facing struggles, you will. In this sin-contaminated world, all of us face some tough problems. Some of you are struggling financially because you need a job. Others are struggling because there is great pressure at their job. Some are struggling in their marriage or with their children. Others are grieving. Some struggle with emotional issues. For these and many other reasons you may feel like your strength is flagging—you feel like giving up. DON’T. Remember—Jesus didn’t quit. Keep His example always in mind. Ask for His help—but keep running—keep enduring—keep pursuing the goal of becoming more like Jesus.

Are you a quitter? A quitter gives up when things are hard or uncomfortable. A quitter gets discouraged thinking a job will never be finished. Instead of quitting, God wants you to persevere. But persevering means to keep going through a hard time without giving up.

The Bible tells of so many like Noah or Moses or Ruth and Esther…and countless others who faced fear and discouragement, but they persevered. There will be hard times in your life when you'll be tempted to quit. You might feel sorry for yourself and think it's just too hard to be a Christian, but God can give you perseverance. God has wonderful plans for you. He just wants you to trust Him as He works them out in your life. Don't get discouraged. Don't be a quitter. Keep on keeping on! God says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest [be rewarded] if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

The Christian life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. How many of you have ever run a marathon or a half-marathon? You know the importance of pacing yourself so you can finish the race. The history of the marathon comes from the legend of how a Greek soldier, Pheidippides ran about 25 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce the defeat of the Persians. After making that long run, he was so exhausted he fell over dead.

The key to finishing well is having the right focus. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

That term “fix our eyes on Jesus” means that we stare intently at Him. A good runner always keeps his or her eyes on the finish line. They don’t turn to look at the other runners or they can lose precious time. Another reason I believe those witnesses cheering us on aren’t looking at us is because I believe they are also looking at Jesus. It’s important to understand that we aren’t running for the applause of those in the grandstands. We are running for the approval and the applause of only One, the Lord Jesus Christ. They are cheering us on, but we have eyes only for Jesus. You can’t run this race without His strength. As you run, keep chanting, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

There’s an old Steve Green song that says: “We’re pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road; And those who’ve gone before us line the way; Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary; Their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace. Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses; Let us run the race not only for the prize; But as those who’ve gone before us; Let us leave to those behind us; The heritage of faithfulness; Passed on through godly lives. Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful; May the fire of our devotion light their way; May the footprints that we leave; Lead them to believe and the lives we live inspire them to obey; Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful!”

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Have YOU been nuked?

“You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust the sails.”

Many of the high costs of the pandemic and political chaos aren’t physical, they’re emotional and spiritual. No one, no age group, economic segment, gender, or religious faction has been immune from the stress and emotional angst taking place today. Often, when we encounter volatile reactions and responses, we wrongly assume that we’re the cause – that it’s us, that we caused it or it has something to do with us. It often doesn’t. A great temptation is to “fight fire with fire” which is another poor choice.

A vast majority of the problems in your circle of life – work, neighborhood, community, even family – have nothing to do with you. The anger, complaints, and griping that you face often have little to do with you. Yes, people are very upset, but if you drill a little deeper, you may discover that there are other factors at work. They’re struggling at work, or in their marriage or other relationships. They’re under tremendous stress or battling addiction or just really down on themselves. Add the health crisis and people are struggling deeply with stress, unlike anything most have ever encountered. No wonder they’re on edge. Under that kind of stress when people feel their lives and world are out of control, the anger will often come out somewhere. Personal encounters are an easy target.

In the same way, that road rage is rarely about what happens on the road, being nuked is often not about what’s happening in the moment. The guy who barely cut you off just bore the full weight of your unresolved issues in that moment. While it doesn’t make the anger go away, it can help us empathize more and take it a lot less personally.

In general people are more anxious, depressed, and traumatized than at any point in recent history. Study after study has found that people are experiencing more mental and emotional health issues than before the pandemic. Up to half show serious signs of depression. A large percentage struggle with anxiety. Many meet the criteria for clinical mental health problems: depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This fuels poor sleep patterns, creating a vicious cycle. Sleeplessness accelerates mental health issues.

Loneliness and isolation contribute to raw emotions. Stay-at-home orders, remote work, the roller coaster of virtual or in-person learning, along with social distancing have left many feeling very isolated. Nearly 1 in 7 adults said that they were often lonely during the past year. Those who are younger or who live alone, or who have a chronic health condition, are lonelier than other groups. One study found that almost two-thirds of those under 30 had high levels of loneliness.

Christians are not immune from any of these issues BUT…All of us have struggled with these varied emotions during the past year. I know I have. Yet, we have something that those who don’t know the Lord don’t have – hope. Our hope isn’t from science or government. Our hope is in our sovereign God! Our hope is in King Jesus!

As we study Scripture, we find example after example of individuals and groups who went through much worse struggles than we’re currently experiencing. Peruse Hebrews 11 for a testament of this. In 2 Corinthians 6, the Apostle Paul unpacks his many trials and suffering, yet he shares hope and gives us the solution given to him by the Lord, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Our Heavenly Father is not surprised by any of this and He is in complete control of it all, even when it appears everything is out of control.

We must not surrender to fear. Some form of the phrase “fear not” occurs well over a hundred times in the Bible. Fear is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7). And ultimately, what do we have to fear. The worst that can happen to a believer is that they die, but we know that when we close our eyes in this life, we open them in glory and eternity!

We must be cautious with anger. Anger is like dynamite. It can be useful and has an appropriate place, yet it must be handled with caution because it can have disastrous results when it’s not. Ephesians 4:26-27 warns us: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Yet there are Christians living in a constant state of rage. Listen to them talk. Watch their posts on social media. They’re in a very dangerous place and they are not pleasing God.

God’s Word never says, “blessed are the angry.” It does say, “Blessed are the meek…Blessed are the merciful…Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:5-9). The reason many lack God’s blessing on their lives is that they’re living in a sinful, emotional state where God can’t bless them.

By God’s grace we must persevere. God did not promise us an easy life. Our lives are certainly better when we come to Christ, that though does not mean life will be easy. In fact, in some ways, it could be even more difficult. We now have a vicious Enemy. Our worldview doesn’t line up with the temporal one of this age and that brings conflict.

When you commit yourself to Christ, it’s a lifetime commitment, regardless of whatever trials or persecution you face along the way. As a Christian, you’re called to set your face forward and towards the goal. What will get us through all of this is that we know that we are not alone and we know that we have our Father’s infinite source of strength and power available to us. Even the very worst of this life is temporary.

Why try? Why persevere? I love the answer to that question given by the great painter, Renoir. In old age, this great French painter suffered from arthritis, which twisted and cramped his hand. Henri Matise, his artist friend, watched sadly while Renoir, grasping a brush with only his fingertips, continued to paint, even though each movement caused stabbing pain. Matise asked Renoir why he persisted in painting at the expense of such torture. Renoir replied, “The pain passes, but the beauty remains.”

Why must we keep on pushing ahead in our commitment to the Kingdom of God, why must we seek to be Christlike even when it costs us dearly? Because “the pain passes, but the beauty remains” and it remains forever!

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Finishing Well

The race is not always to the swift but to him who keeps on running.

One of the heroes in Christian History is William Wilberforce. As a young man, Wilberforce was very discouraged one night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his 10 year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again: “Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might.”

The slave trade ended because one British politician persevered and committed nearly his entire life to see it end. It took forty years and didn’t end until one month after his death. His lifelong perseverance brought about a radical spiritual and societal change.

Perseverance is to be a trait of all Christ-followers. The Apostle Paul persevered. Near the end of his life he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Yet, many Christians don’t persevere. Nearly every day we learn of another professing Christian, sometimes a very famous one, that’s become disillusioned and jettisoned their faith. Why? How does someone walk away from what at one time they so strongly affirmed that they believed?

They had unrealistic expectations about God and Christianity. C.S. Lewis referred to this as the “problem of pain.” There’s an erroneous belief, sometimes taught by well-meaning Christians, that God will protect His children and their lives will essentially be pain-free.

Such teaching flies in the face of the clear teaching of Scripture. The book of Job is right in the middle of the Bible. No one suffered as much as Job. Yet, he was one of the godliest, faithful men in all of the Bible. Beginning in Genesis all the way to the book of Revelation, there’s account after account, even promises of suffering, trials and unbelievable pain.

God never promises us a pain-free life. The Bible promises something much more powerful, God’s grace to persevere through the worst pain (2 Cor. 12:9) and that all pain for the believer is temporary (2 Cor. 4:16-18).

While some Christians, because of suffering or disillusionment, abandon their faith. What’s more common is a kind of passive Christianity. Often this is a believer who at one time had a vibrant faith but now are just going through the motions. They may still go church or call themselves a Christian, but something happened, perhaps a struggling marriage or wayward child. While they never say, they no longer “trust” God, they’ve become overwhelmed by pain and sadly, Satan has sidelined them.

God rarely conforms His plan to our wishes, which is a good thing. Better than that, we have a Savior who understands all of our sufferings because Jesus has suffered more acutely than any of us ever will.

They feel betrayed by the Church or a Christian they admired. There are no words for the horror of a spiritual leader molesting or abusing someone under their care. Yet, we know that the poison of a lost world has too often contaminated the church. Then, spiritual leaders can be absorbed with their agenda and self-glory, not God’s. Some manipulate or use those whom they’re responsible for to promote themselves. Narcissism and empire-building is not just a secular world problem. It’s why James warns those in leadership or teaching positions of their greater accountability, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (3:1). Probably, the greatest betrayal takes place in the home with a parent who claims to be one thing at church, yet lives a double-life. While we all sin and none are perfect, such duplicity and betrayal leave deep, lifelong scars.

The solution is to look to a Savior who was betrayed and murdered, yet trusted God. He understands the depth of betrayal that none of us can begin to comprehend. We must as the writer of Hebrews urged us to do, “Look to Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-3) who will never fail or disappoint us.

They are covering personal sin. Each one of us is designed by God and made in His image, Imago Dei. We were never designed though to live with guilt or a pained conscience. As a result, one has to do something with guilt because the shame and pain can become unbearable. So, like our first parents, we cover ourselves with fig leaves. Some cover guilt with the fig leaf of bitterness or anger. Blaming others, continually focusing on them and how they have been wronged. It helps keeps us from having to look at the darkness within our own hearts. Others will abandon a Bible-believing church that teaches about sin and personal responsibility, yet keep some veneer of spirituality by being part of a church where, as Scripture describes it, their ears are “tickled” (2 Tim. 4:3). Sometimes they will even go to counseling to rid themselves of guilt and “repressive biblical truth.”

The only true hope and cure is confession and forgiveness. Jesus died for all of our sin. Nothing surprises Him. He longs to forgive and free us from guilt. He’s the Good Shepherd searching for the lost lamb (Matt. 18:12-14).

What’s the key to being able to endure? You can’t…on your own. We foolishly believe that we’re strong and sufficient in ourselves. We’re not. The key is to rely totally on Jesus. Paul gives us the prescription of perseverance and spiritual success, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). We plug into His power by regularly reading God’s Word, honestly praying and crying out for His strength, surrounding ourselves with other believers who pray, support and encourage us. And we must focus on our eternal future, the finish line. As Esther Kerr Rusthoi powerfully wrote as part of a hymn many years ago:

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

A Persevering Mom...Priceless!

“The race is not always to the swift

but to the one who keeps on running.”

893 Quadrillion to One. That’s the likelihood of what’s happened to 20-year-old Dylan McWilliams. He was bitten by a shark, attacked by a bear, and bitten by a rattlesnake—all in just over three years.

A few weeks ago, Dylan McWilliams was body boarding off the island of Kauai, Hawaii, when he felt something hit his leg. “I saw the shark underneath me. I started kicking at it—I know I hit it at least once—and swam to shore as quickly as I could,” McWilliams told the media. The wound required 7 stitches. The odds of being attacked by a shark in U.S. waters is 1 in 11.5 million. For perspective, the average American has about a 1 in 5,000 chances of being struck by lightning during a lifetime.

While shark attacks get most of the media attention, the odds are that you’re more likely to be attacked by a bear (which is just one more reason to never go camping 😊). McWilliams, who backpacks across the U.S. and Canada, had a black bear bite him on the head while he was sleeping on a camping trip in Colorado last July. He escaped by poking the bear in its eye but it took nine staples to the back of his head. The odds of being injured by a bear are 1 in 2.1 million. In the lower 48 States just 14 people have been killed by bears between 1900 and 2009.

I should mention that in 2015, “Mr. Lucky” stumbled onto a rattlesnake while hiking in Utah. He said the bite had little venom in it so he decided not to go to the hospital, even though he was sick for a couple of days. The odds of being bitten by a poisonous snake in the U.S. are estimated at 1 in 37,500. The odds of being killed in a car accident are much more frightening at 1 in 112 (the moral of the story – don’t ride in a car).

Dylan McWilliams chalks all this up to being in the wrong place at the wrong time and encourages everyone to experience the outdoors. “I still go hiking, I still catch rattlesnakes, and I will still swim in the ocean.” But I believe that he’s a wuss…compared to a godly Mom who perseveres.

Motherhood can truly be the greatest adventure. Being a successful Mom doesn’t come from doing all the right things, or children making straight A’s or being all star athletes or the most popular kid, or even dressing them like they just stepped out of a Kohl’s ad. It’s not from buying natural food and preparing tasty, yet nutritional meals. It’s not from being able to balance out a career with being a Mom. It’s not even from having perfect kids or little angels at church. Great Moms are those who persevere!

We all know the horror stories of Moms who walked out of their marriages and worse, walked out on their kids. Yet, one can walk out emotionally and spiritually, yet still be 100% in place physically.

Being a Mom is never ending work. It’s to give it your all and do your best 24/7, but still be told that “You’re the meanest Mom in the world!” It’s to wonder what you ever did to be despised by those who you’d willingly give your life for, faster than a New York minute. It’s to be dissed by the media and culture who seems to only be impressed by super women, like a Senator who nurses her baby on the Senate floor, yet still holds down a powerful position. Or celebrities who six weeks after having a baby are back to their svelte high school figure.

Being a successful Mom doesn’t come from being beautiful or still able to fit in your wedding gown in middle age. While there are many spiritual fruits that are part of being successful, this first one is critical – persevering. It’s means that you’re faithful and still plugged in spiritually, mentally and emotionally when you’d rather bail. It’s saying “No” and sticking to it because saying “No” is the right decision. It’s saying “Yes” as much as you can to all that’s good for your children and what will help them be godly adults even when they’re screaming “No!” And when they’re adults and have walked away from God and everything you love and thought that you’d instilled in them, you still persevere on your knees.

One of forgotten heroines of the early church was Monica. Her son was a nightmare. Because of her faith, he ran away as far as he could from her. He was vile, debauched and immoral. He was everything that a Mom hopes her child will never be, but he was. To make matters worse, she’s married to a pagan husband and has no support at home or in her marriage. But even though her son ran from her, he couldn’t outrun her prayers. She made it her mission on earth to be the one who would constantly pray for her son…Augustine. To be the one, again from a human perspective, that God would use in bringing Augustine to Himself.

In his book, The Confessions, Augustine relates that his mother, Monica, told him, “There was only one reason, and one reason alone why I wished to remain a little longer in this life, and it was to see you…to see you become a Christian.” Wonderfully, Monica lived to see her prayers answered. Augustine not only became a Christian, he became one of the greatest leaders in Church History.

Mothers, God does not ask you to be successful. His first requirement is that you persevere, that you be faithful to Him. Study the pages of Scripture and Church History. You’ll find a consistent pattern. Often in the shadows, behind nearly every man or woman who loved Jesus and made a difference for eternity, is a faithful mother who persevered. It’s a Hanna, a Eunice, a Susanna Wesley or a Ruth Bell Graham…or YOU!