These words, “endure hardness” are not words some of us want to hear these days. We want it easy. We want everything given to us and taken care of for us. But in truth if we want to move on and be successful, whether in the worldly success or the spirit realm, we must endure hardness. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. We must endure. We have no other choice.
Life can stink sometimes. People hurt you like you’re a walking robot with no feelings. They don’t care. And when you want something and it doesn’t agree with the people you know, they will let you know. Sometimes they think it’s their business and their right to do it. Apostle Paul admonished young preacher Timothy to endure hardness. He basically told Timothy, life is not going to be easy. You’re going to have to have the grit to make it, whatever happens. Whoever offends you, whatever comes your way, keep going and doing the work of God. He said to him,
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. {2 Timothy 2:3}
Being a soldier is not an easy task. But fortunately for us, we are not alone in this fight to endure until the end. Just because we’ve decided to belong to the kingdom of God and fight His battles, it doesn’t mean we are on our own. The Lord is here and available for us, 24/7. He never sleeps, nor slumbers. He is always there watching and waiting whenever we need Him. The key thing is to never, ever, give up on calling upon His name and talking to Him. You can give up on your friends. You can give up on your dreams. You can give up on the world. But whatever you do, don’t ever give up on talking to the Lord and telling Him that you need Him. Even when you feel so hurt or really disappointed with life you can’t even get out of bed, don’t stop talking to the Lord. Right there in your bed, talk to Him. Tell Him your desires, tell Him your thoughts, or tell Him anything. Just don’t stop talking to God.
This is the way I define enduring hardness: talking to God whatever happens. When I can’t deal with life anymore, when I can’t even get up in the morning because I have no desire to see life or do anything, I talk to Him because time and time again He has carried me through. Time and time again I’ve endured trials and tribulations, hurts and sadness and pain, simply by just talking to the Lord and crying out to Him. He does the work for us because He loves us so much. There is nothing we really need to do in the physical world except talk to Him and love Him with all of our hearts and soul. When we do that the Bible tells us that the battle belongs to the Lord, and He will win this battle for us. In short, we will win. {1 Samuel 17:47}
Our circumstances may scare us. We may think there is no way out. But if we learn to cry out to the Lord and take everything to Him in prayer, things will definitely work out. The key thing is to never, ever give up on the Lord and talking to Him. We must always wait on Him by communing and talking to Him. If you don’t know what to say, read the Bible until you can’t read it anymore. Stop and rest, then read it some more. Some time in the process of your reading and resting the Lord will come. The Holy Spirit will help you to talk to Him. If we wait on Him and desire Him with all of our heart and soul, He will come and He will even help us to talk to Him. But don’t give up. Remember what Isaiah said,
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. {Isaiah 40:31}
There is a battle that’s raging in the spirit world today – the battle for man’s soul. That’s you and me. Satan is the enemy of our soul. He will do his very best to get us out of the way, so that we will not have the power to endure to the end and make a difference in our world. His worst fear is we may end up winning souls for God. What will he do then? It must not be so. It may look like it’s your boss, or your co-worker, or your best friend who just turned against you. It doesn’t matter who Satan may bring in your life to try to scare you out of your wits to make you give up on life or on God. He will try to do it. But if we have this mindset of never, ever giving up on talking to the Lord and committing everything to Him in prayer and waiting for Him, we are guaranteed to endure. We are guaranteed to win. Remember, the victory is ours when the battle is the Lord’s. If God be for us who can be against us? Endure hardness. Endure hardships. Endure for Christ. Endure until the end.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. {Romans 9:16}
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. {John 16:33}
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. {Matthew 10:22}
Prayer
Heavenly Father, our hope and help in this life, all things are possible with You. There is nothing that is too hard for You. There is nothing that is too difficult with You, Jesus. Thank You Father that You have endured until the end. You have endured the cross for us so that today we are guaranteed to overcome and live a victorious life. There is nothing we can ever face in this life that is greater than You. Because You have overcome this world we will overcome also.
Lord Jesus, help us Savior to never ever stop talking to You. Help us to keep talking to You and keep coming to You because in talking to You we will find our strength and power to endure until the end. Help us Savior, please help us to endure until the end. I pray all these things in Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus. Thank You Father. Amen.
