Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. – James 1:12 (NASB)
Pastor Dan and I, as well as several other New Hope folks, are just back from serving on the women’s Tres Dias weekend. We faced several unexpected challenges, not relational, but related to the building. We faced problems with water, sewer, heat, electricity, automobiles, bugs… and if that list seems long, I could be forgetting something. This experience led me to consider perseverance for this week’s reflections.
Don’t get me wrong, God showed up in mighty, beautiful ways over our weekend! While we faced trials, with the incredible team He had in place and the faithful candidates God brought to Weekend #63, you would have never known we had been through these trials. Even when the electricity and plumbing failed, the water didn’t work, and other challenges popped up… the Light of Christ, shining among the group, never dimmed.
The Christian life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon – a long steady journey of faith marked by endurance, discipline, and hope. The writer of Hebrews reminds us of this. Today’s passage paints a vivid image of the believer as a runner in a great spiritual race. The goal isn’t to reach the finish line first, but to finish faithfully. Endurance – steady, sustained faithfulness – is what matters most. In a world that prizes instant results, God calls us to the long obedience of perseverance. We don’t run by bursts of enthusiasm, but by quiet, daily resolve, trusting Jesus to strengthen us when we grow weary.
James echoes that truth in Chapter 1. He says perseverance isn’t passive waiting. It’s active faith under pressure. Like gold refined in the fire, our faith isn’t proven in the times in our lives that are easy on us, but in seasons of testing. Trials don’t destroy real faith; they reveal and refine it. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we find our model and our motivation. Christ endured the cross because He saw the joy set before Him. In the same way, we’re called to keep running, not because the path is easy, but because the prize is sure. The “crown of life” awaits those who endure to the end. We must run steadily. We need to keep our hearts fixed on Christ. We should measure our progress not by speed, but by steadfastness… by the quiet enduring faith that keeps moving forward, one step at a time.