Question 1

How can I develop perseverance?

Accepted Answer

Joshua 6:3-5“You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. . . . On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”Perseverance is obeying even when God’s way doesn’t seem to make sense or produce immediate results. For believers, one of the healthiest spiritual exercises is to ask each day, “Am I following Christ?” Steady obedience develops perseverance.Habakkuk 3:19The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.Ephesians 6:13Put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.Colossians 1:10-11Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.2 Corinthians 1:8-9We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.2 Thessalonians 3:5May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.The fuel of endurance for life is the power of God working through us. The more obedient and in tune we are with God, the more God’s power will strengthen and ignite our ability to persevere—not just to endure, but persevere joyfully!Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.Perseverance is based on the promise of God’s persistent, faithful work in our lives. God never stops working for our good and for his glory in us, and that should motivate us to always be looking for what he will do next to help us grow and serve others.Romans 5:3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.James 1:2-4When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.Problems, trials, troubles, and the testing of our faith can strengthen our resolve or break us down. It all depends on our attitude. If we see our problems as steppingstones to something greater, then we can move ahead with anticipation for what we will become—a person of strong character who can handle any obstacle. If we see our problems as giant barriers, we will get discouraged, give up, and turn back, never allowing ourselves to become more than we are now. God promises that problems and troubles will help us grow. Will you let the growth happen?2 Corinthians 8:10-11Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have.Perseverance involves setting manageable goals that keep us on track to finish what we started. If we don’t set goals, we will never reach them. The best kind of perseverance does more than barely make it to the finish line; it pushes us to break the tape at full speed.Hebrews 12:1-3Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.Sin will always stunt our spiritual development like a disability or a self-imposed limitation can keep runners from doing their best. The less we practice sin, the easier it is to persevere through life’s problems and challenges. The faithfulness of God’s people across the ages and, above all, the example of Jesus give us models of how to reduce the sin in our lives and develop the necessary perseverance to help us become all God wants us to be.2 Corinthians 1:8-9We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.1 Thessalonians 1:3As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.The key to perseverance is having a clear view of heaven as our destination. When we clearly see where we are going, it is easier to endure the hardships along the road. God promises to help us. His persistent and faithful work in our lives gives us the supernatural power to keep going when we encounter difficulties. And it helps to enlist others to pray for us, even as we volunteer to pray for them.Nehemiah 6:1-2Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me.Our task and the perseverance to finish the task are rooted in God’s call. Consider carefully whether or not to respond to distractions. If the work we do is God’s work, we had better involve God in it. And if the work we do is God’s work, we can have faith that our perseverance will pay off.Habakkuk 2:3This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.Leaders develop realistic expectations in order to persevere. They describe the goal or objective clearly enough so that there is wide agreement when it has been met.Revelation 14:12This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.The key to perseverance is having a clear view of heaven and a willingness to recognize God’s sovereignty over our very lives. When we see clearly where we are going and who is going with us, we can endure the hardships along the road.2 Corinthians 4:1Since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up.We find strength in our call and the confidence that, no matter how things appear outwardly, God has given us work to do. The very fact that God has enlisted us to participate in his work is yet another example of his mercy.

Question 2

Why is perseverance so important?

Accepted Answer

John 15:5“Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.”Galatians 6:9Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.Perseverance leads to a productive life. There are short term (seasonal) and long term (lifetime) periods of productivity. Some harvests come after a short wait; other harvests must wait for years. Giving up always leaves you with the frustration of unfinished work. But if you persevere in serving God, you can look back with satisfaction on a productive life.2 Corinthians 8:10-11It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving.Perseverance validates your promises and demonstrates your credibility. It allows you to demonstrate to yourself as well as to God that you trust in him.Matthew 7:7“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”Luke 18:1-8One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”God honors perseverance in prayer. All perseverance is wrapped in an expectant hope for the future. It rests on God’s faithfulness and justice. Perseverance in prayer demonstrates your faith and hope that God is listening, that he cares, and that he will respond.Romans 5:3-4We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.1 Peter 1:6-7These trials will show that your faith is genuine. . . . So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.To stay strong, to persevere, to endure—these characteristics help you to deal with problems. They have their greatest effect when expressed with joy. God uses adversity to make you strong. Without adversity, there is nothing to exercise the muscles of your faith. Ask God to give you a glimpse of what he wants you to learn as you joyfully persevere through difficult times.James 1:2-4Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.2 Peter 1:5-9Make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.Perseverance produces, among other bi-products, godliness, love, productivity, usefulness, growth, strength of character, preparedness, strong faith, and eternal rewards. The results make the costs worthwhile.1 Peter 2:19God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.Revelation 2:19“I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.”Endurance honors God and his plan for you. It can be a continual acknowledgment that God never loses sight of you. You are under observation by God for good.Matthew 24:13“The one who endures to the end will be saved.”1 Timothy 4:16Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.2 Timothy 2:10-13I [Paul] am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.No matter what you are facing, the value of perseverance involves more than you. You may be instrumental in providing encouragement to others by your trust in Christ and willingness to suffer.Romans 2:7He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.2 Timothy 4:5-8Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. . . . I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return.Hebrews 3:14If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.Hebrews 10:36Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.James 1:12God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.1 Peter 4:13These trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.Revelation 3:5“All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life.”Those who persevere in their faith will share in the eternal riches of Christ.2 Corinthians 1:6Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.1 Peter 5:9Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.Revelation 1:9I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.Perseverance encourages others to be patient, work hard, and have faith. They will see the benefits of a life of perseverance and want the same, now and for eternity. Perseverance strengthens the bonds between believers.

Question 3

If I am saved by grace and not by works, why do I need to persevere?

Accepted Answer

James 5:11We give great honor to those who endure under suffering.Perseverance in good works does not produce salvation. Rather, perseverance in doing good is evidence that your faith in God is valid and real. If you have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, you are now living in a fallen world while possessing the priceless eternal gift of salvation. It will not be easy to live out your remaining time before eternity takes over. But nothing you endure will earn you what God has already given to you, nor could it ever.2 Peter 1:5-7Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and glodliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.Through patient perseverance, you become more like Jesus, who demonstrated all these traits while he lived among us.James 1:3You know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.Perseverance turns suffering into maturity. Suffering for the sake of suffering is fruitless. But suffering that leads to wise practical experience is productive.

Question 4

Where do I find the strength to keep going when I’m tempted to give up?

Accepted Answer

Luke 9:62Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”2 Timothy 2:3Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.1 Peter 2:20Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.Your outlook on life determines how you see your problems. If you see them only as nuisances, you will develop an attitude of bitterness, cynicism, and hopelessness that will make you want to give up. If you see your problems as an opportunity for strengthening your character and convictions, you will be able to rise above them and persevere to see the good things God has in store for you. Endurance is a sign that your faith is growing strong.

Question 5

Will God supply me with the strength I need to persevere?

Accepted Answer

Zechariah 4:6“It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”Ephesians 3:16I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.Philippians 4:13I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.2 Thessalonians 3:13As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.The Holy Spirit is the power of God that lives in every believer. When you yield control of your life to the Lord, he releases his power within you—power to resist temptation, to serve and love God and others when you are at the end of your rope, to have wisdom in all circumstances, and to persevere in living for God now with the promise of eternal life later. Through his Spirit, God will give you the energy you need to do all that he asks you to do.

Question 6

Who are some leaders who persevered in the Bible?

Accepted Answer

Hebrews 11:1-2Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.Hebrews 11:32-40It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.Hebrews 11 is an entire chapter that lists people of faith who persevered before God. Most of them had to trust in God’s gracious willingness to save them in anticipation of the work Jesus would do on the cross, securing the means of salvation for believers who came long before and for believers like us who came long after.Genesis 17:1-2, 19When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” . . . But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.”Abram persevered in trusting the promises of God. That trust was marked by a willingness to act based on God’s instructions before he saw the promises fulfilled.1 Samuel 16:11-12Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”2 Samuel 5:4David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all.David persevered in waiting on the timing of God. Many scholars believe David waited 13 to 17 years for the fulfillment of God’s promise that he would become king. Much of this time he actually spent running from Saul who was determined to kill him.2 Corinthians 11:23-29I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. . . . I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?Paul persevered through innumerable trials in God’s service. Yet he also set an example for us in his awkwardness over reporting on his own endurance.