Sticks and Stones

Life as a Believer in Certain Uncertain Times

The United Nations held their general assembly recently and I listened to bits of a couple of sessions. The tone and the overall atmosphere were quite tentative. World leaders seemed certain they had different kinds of global crises to deal with, and more perplexing, they seemed to be at a loss for how to go about solutions.

We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul–not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is a strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, (Col 1:11 MSB)

Our personal lives don’t seem to be free of the ripple effects of the times. For the believer, these are interesting times. He is different and he is called to experience these times differently, as one with hope, not wishful thinking, but a present expectation of future good on account of his relationship with God and his promises.

As Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Colosse, he speaks of a long haul. How much this is relevant to us today? Sometimes, we might experience pressure that we perceive as overwhelming, other times, it might be the prolonged nature of pressure that becomes the challenge. So the Apostle speaks of a strength to stick to it over the long haul, the strength, that as it were, allows us to remain stable in experience. It is the strength that endures.

We can often think of strength as the force needed to overcome. But sometimes we overcome by enduring. The Apostle speaks here of a strength that endures the unendurable and afterward breaks about into joy. Not because we won’t have joy in the enduring process, we would. We would have the joy of grit and the joy of triumph.

He says this strength isn’t found in our human container. It isn’t sourced in us. And so we aren’t asked to look upon ourselves, but rather to look to God for his Glory-strength, or as I like to think of it, the strength that comes from our beholding and fellowshipping with his Glory.

Why should we stick it out? Why is God committing himself to giving us strength to endure:

But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion. (Hebrews 10:34- MSB)

How do we secure the strength that endures?

First, we should look away from ourselves and our circumstances. Men’s hearts fail them for fear and for things that will happen. Second, we turn to God, we fix our hearts on his faithfulness and Glory. We do this by exposing our minds to the promises of God in the scriptures, believing them, and speaking them out as a bolster for our hearts. We also give ourselves to prayer- worshipping God and pouring out our heart to him in love, for therein we shut out the world and shut ourselves in with God. Third, we separate ourselves from situations that serve as channels to puncture our hearts and undermine our confidence in God. Fourth, we avail ourselves of the company of other faithful and fervent brethren. There is a strength that is assigned to the fellowshipping of believers.

Beloved, you may be in the long haul, but be assured, there is joy ahead, the completion of God’s plan in and for your life. It will make sense.