Perseverance Wilderness Wanderings

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance (2 Peter 1:5,6).
Following Jesus is not a good carrier move. Refusing to be involved in shady practices can cost us promotions. When we refuse to gossip around the proverbial water cooler, colleagues do not warm up to us. Refraining from excessive drinking can lead to defriending. Sometimes we are ostracised for mentioning our faith in Jesus.
Following Jesus is costly. We make financial donations to the church and to other charities. Rather than sleeping in on Sunday’s we gather with our Christian family to worship God. The leadership is always looking for more volunteers; we begrudgingly offer our time and talent. Then there are the neighbours we’d really like to ignore, but they know we are Christians. Sometimes we hear the tune of “They will know we are Christians by our love” being hummed from the other side of the fence. Our decidedly unchristian neighbour is reminding us of our commitment.
Following Jesus is profoundly frustrating. So often, we fail to live up to the calling we have received. We’ve lost count of the times we have renewed our faith and commitment to Jesus. We see ourselves as repeat offenders. We bought unnecessary clothes again. We got angry at our children again. We looked the other way again when someone else was being bullied. Again, we snoozed the alarm and had no time for devotions. Again, we choose not to reach out to a hurting friend.
Jesus did not promise an easy road when calling his disciples. He warns us to count the cost before signing up (Luke 14:25ff). He claimed to have no place to lay his head (Luke 9:53), so we shouldn’t expect one either. Several times the apostles list the suffering they are enduring for the sake of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 11:23ff). What is it that kept them going? How did they persevere? They knew where they were going.
We persevere because we know where we are going. “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God…in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:11, 13). We persevere in anticipation of hearing the blessed words from Jesus own lips, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).
In the meantime, we remember the value of suffering: it refines our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7); it perfects our hope (1 Peter 1:8-9, 21); it weans us from sin (1 Peter 4:1-3); it deepens our intimacy with Jesus (1 Peter 4:12-13) and it trains us in holiness (1 Peter 4:16-19).
Of course, suffering might do the exact opposite. It might corrode our faith, shatter our hope, estrange us from Jesus, provoke us to rebellion, plunge us into sin. The question is: do we believe we are on the right path? It’s a matter of faith. “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).
Suffering can teach us hope. To hope for something that this world cannot offer. To look forward to a future that is too glorious for our imaginations to imagine. And hope inspires us to persevere.
So, as you journey on:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18).