Endurance

Romans 5:3-5 discusses suffering as it produces endurance, character, and hope in that order because it forces us to cling to the Holy Spirit more. Elsewhere Hebrews 12:1-2 calls us to endure (or persevere in other translations) the race that God has marked out for us and that endurance comes from fixing our eyes on Christ.

I think of endurance a lot with my continued search for full-time work. I would lie if I said that I was unemployed, and at times I am not grateful for the research assistant and call center jobs that I do have. I just want something more. Something in my field that would help me pay off my loans faster, give me full benefits, and be something of a professional job.

It can be easy to fix my eyes on that goal and put my hope in that goal. It can be tempting. I could easily move to Denver after I leave The Rock and join the GCM church there. I could even go to another city and join a church there. But God has called me to be part of the Summitview family. Fixing my eyes on him, arranges my priorities. Yes, I should continue to strive to find a job that will meet my needs, but my focus shouldn't be there. My focus should be on my Provider. He knows my needs and my abilities. He also knows my limitations with my eyes and transportation. I must trust Him first.

If I relied on my own self for endurance and focused on that perfect job for my hope, I would have given up a long time ago. Focusing on God helps me keep on going because I am living in His plan, and ultimately knowing Him better is the prize for finishing.