Perseverance = Faith

How many times does it take for you to fail until you give up? Do you ever give up? Is that even an option? Do you need to know your limits and forfeit?

Perserverance teaches you that repetition in your failing actually causes you to succeed. As long as you learn from your mistakes, adapt, and make changes to your approach, you are bound to reach your end goal.

This is not new news to any of us, no, but can we apply it to a more biblical approach?

Faith is what we believe in, trusting that a person or a thing will get you what you desire. To get through your hardships, pain and long-suffering. Sometimes our faith in God is tested. Our challenges become many and all at once. How we react determines the faith that we have. And so, if we perservere we will have shown settled faith as it has been justified that when we put our faith in Christ, our challenges and pain subsides till a point where it is no longer there.

This winter of mine has been somewhat a challenging one. A difficult ‘season’ as they say. Honestly, I had my doubts that there was light at the end of the tunnel. A sickness that took all the energy I could muster, the overload of what work can be at times, unforeseen circumstances that made my wallet seem like I put all my bets on the losing number. Even having the inability to run due to an injury has certainly made me realise how much of my identity is in being an active person. These wild turn of events changed my perspective on how life can get. But most importantly, I saw the hand of God over every situation. Because as difficult as the time was, it definitely could have been worse. In many ways I am far from over the ‘hump’ of challenges. However I see the light shining ever so bright. No doubt that I will reach it.

In the old testament Moses reveals that there are 613 commandments that one must follow. Fortunately David reduced it to 11, then Isaiah to 6, Micah to 3 and finally, Habakkuk made it one simple commandment: The righteousness shall live by their faith (Hab 2:4).

Even in my weakness, I find courage knowing that it is not in my works that will bring me to salvation but my faith. It is the constant belief, the perserverance of loyalty that I find my peace.