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Perseverance
There will be times in your Christian walk when you will feel emotionally “down.” You may think that God has forgotten about you. Or you might become discouraged as you see others who have professed faith in Jesus Christ lose interest in spiritual things and fall away. You may begin to wonder whether you are next on the Devil’s “hit list.” But God will not allow you to be hit with more than you can handle spiritually. In fact, it is during times of trouble that you will actually be strengthened, not weakened.
As you read your Bible, you will come across words like, endurance and perseverance. These words are often used when the Bible compares the Christian life to a race. The race referred to as a marathon, not a fifty-yard dash. Because the Christian life is a long-distance run, you need to pace yourself, to persevere, and most of all, to finish the race. Look up the following passages that describe how and why you need to persevere through the inevitable struggles of life.
(To Look up the bible passages: copy and paste the bible passage in the box labeled passage below. The best version to use is NIV.)
- Perseverance Produces Results. As you steadily grow in your understanding of God’s word and apply it to your life, you will win others to the Lord (Luke 8:15)
- Life’s Trials Will Make you Stronger. You should view difficulties as obstacles to your faith, but as opportunities for spiritual growth. (James 1:2-4)
- Christ Endured Great Pain for Us. Jesus modeled the ultimate in endurance so that we would be encouraged to keep our faith strong in the race of life. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
- God Honors Those Who Persevere. A wholehearted commitment to God will enable you to “finish well” with your faith intact (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
 
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