“Footprints in the sands of time are never made by sitting down” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Perseverance, endurance, and plain old stubborn tenacity are needed to hold on to our hope in the midst of difficulty. If our life’s work will leave behind footprints in the sands of tine, it will be because we have striven to go in a direction largely untraveled by the world.
God’s word compares the Christian life to running a race. In Hebrews 12:1-2, we read, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” While the life of a Christian is like a race, it is not a sprint so much as a marathon. Nor is speed so much required as stamina. We “have need of endurance, so that when [we] have done the will of God, [we] may receive what was promised” (Heb. 10:36).
Where do we find endurance? Endurance is a gift received from the Lord (Rom. 15:5). But, sometimes, God uses people as a conduit through whom He imparts this precious gift. Nevertheless, God is the One through whom we receive endurance so as to complete our race. One way God provides endurance is through suffering. Most of us would rather develop perseverance in some other, less painful, way. But there are no short-cuts to endurance. Endurance grows where trials and tribulations are handled by trusting in God for strength. This is how we develop the stronger and deeper character so essential to see us through to the end of life’s journey.
As we run this great race, our perseverance is inspired by our hope (1 Th. 1:3). The hope of heaven is a grand and glorious hope, one that will motivate and inspire us to endure whatever hardships may come our way. So, we must fix our eyes on Jesus. He is our goal. To be with Him is our hope. In the meantime, we must hold to the course set before us, never giving up but always keeping our trust firmly grounded in Him
— Glen Elliott —