When life gets hard, God helps us persevere.
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Activity | Blindfold Superfood test
For the last few weeks, we've been talking about growing stronger, so I've been doing a little research. All of my "how to get stronger" Google searches led me to a list of superfoods.
A "superfood" is any food that is packed with lots of nutrients. These foods are supposed to make you stronger and healthier, so I thought we could try them out together and see what we think.
After that game, I think some of you would agree — just because something is good for us doesn't mean we're going to like it.
After that game, I think some of you would agree — just because something is good for us doesn't mean we're going to like it.
What’s something that’s good for you, but that you absolutely hate? Why do you hate it?
Image | Things We Hate (Even though they are good for us)
Studying
Sleeping
Brushing your teeth
Waking up
Showering
Exercising
Why do we know the benefits of studying, getting enough sleep, moving our bodies, or brushing our teeth, but it’’s sometimes still such a challenge to actually follow through and do these things?
Why is it so hard to persevere through things that are boring, uncomfortable, or difficult? And why does it even matter if we do or not?
Persevering can be painful
Persevering can be painful
Story | Talk about a time you had to persevere.
Have you ever been happy you persevered through something you didn't want to do? Why are you glad you stuck with it?
What is perseverance?
What is perseverance?
Broken relationships, medical diagnoses, physical limitations, financial hardship, loss of a loved one — these are all difficult situations that many of us have to endure for a very long time, if not for our entire lives.
Life gets hard for all of us sometimes. But some things don't get fixed. Some things don't get easier. Some things require perseverance.
What is perseverance? To persevere means to keep going, even when it's hard, and even when you're not sure things will ever change.
Maybe that sounds depressing, but here's what I've learned about facing times of pain and difficulty: we persevere because, even if our circumstances never change, we can change for the better.
Scripture |
Last week, we looked at a passage of Scripture that I want to look at one more time.
Last time, we talked about how, after Jesus died, rose again, and left earth, Jesus' followers experienced a lot of pain and difficulty.
Because the Roman government was threatened by the message of Jesus and the new Kingdom Jesus came to announce, Jesus' followers were being captured, imprisoned, tortured, and killed.
In the midst of all of that difficulty, a man named Paul wrote a letter to some of the Christians who were suffering and dying because of their beliefs.
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Paul says we can "rejoice" in our pain because loss and failure produce perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope — and hope never lets us down.
Paul understood perseverance
Paul understood perseverance
So what does Paul know about perseverance? Sure, he's telling these other Jesus-followers to persevere through their pain and difficulty, but are these just empty words, or is Paul speaking from experience?
HIS EARLY LIFE
When Paul was young, he took his education seriously. He learned from the best teachers, studied extensively, and did very well. Paul also ran his own tent-making business.
If you've ever studied really hard or tried to find new ways to make money, you know these things don't happen by accident. They require perseverance.
HIS CONVERSION
When Paul met Jesus for the first time, God struck Paul blind for several days, with no promise that his sight would ever return. During those days, Paul fasted and prayed continuously.
That required perseverance too.
HIS MINISTRY
When Paul began traveling the world sharing the message of Jesus, his life didn't get easier. He nearly died several times, survived a shipwreck, got bit by a venomous snake, had multiple disagreements with the other apostles, and wrote letter, after letter, after letter to help encourage and correct his fellow believers.
I don't know if I'd have enough perseverance to deal with all of that, but Paul did.
Scripture |
Although we don’t know all the details, we know there was yet another thing going on in Paul’s life that required perseverance.
5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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2 Corinthians
We don't know what was causing Paul so much pain. We don't even know if it was physical pain or emotional pain, but we do know Paul pleaded with God to please take it away.
Despite Paul's pleas, God did not take away Paul's pain. And here's what's so incredible: Paul accepted it. Paul didn't rage, or quit, or question God. Instead, Paul practiced what he preached to the believers in Rome. Paul rejoiced in his suffering.
Paul understood what we need to understand: that his weaknesses could help make him strong, and that his obstacles could become his opportunities. For Paul, his pain was . . .
A chance to grow in faith.
.A chance to grow in character.A chance to experience the grace, power, and strength of God.Paul trusted that, when life gets hard, God helps us persevere.
A chance to grow in character.
A chance to experience the grace, power, and strength of God.
Paul trusted that, when life gets hard, God helps us persevere.
How can someone develop perseverance?
Why do you think it’s important to God that we develop perseverance?
God helps us persevere
God helps us persevere
So what's the point? Is the point of this message to do your homework, work hard, and brush your teeth twice a day? Um, no. God has much bigger dreams for you than just good behavior (or good hygiene).
The point is this:
Someday, life is going to get difficult. Maybe it is already.
When life does get difficult, God may not always fix it, but God will always help you endure it.
As you persevere through difficulty, you can be joyful because you know God will use your pain to grow your character and grow your faith.
Story | Angela Lee Duckworth
“Grit”- the passion and perseverance for very long term goals
- the passion and perseverance for very long term goals
I can't imagine any goals that are more long-term (or more important) than the goals God has invited us to be a part of, like . . .
Love God with everything you have ().
Love others like you love yourself ().
Share the good news of Jesus with the whole world ().
Be transformed to be more like Jesus ().
These are big goals. We couldn't possibly achieve them on our own. But remember, when we're at our weakest, God's power is at its strongest.
Prayer | Scripture
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
I know we've talked about some hard things this month, but I hope it helped.
Even if you're not going through something difficult right now, I hope you'll remember these conversations when life does start to get hard. I hope you'll remember that . . .
Jesus can redeem what's gone wrong.
When life doesn't make sense, God can be trusted.
When life goes wrong, God gives us each other.
When life gets hard, God helps us persevere.
Just like Adam, Eve, Joseph, Peter, Paul, and all of the earliest Jesus-followers discovered, none of our pain, losses, or failures need to be wasted.
Jesus has the power to redeem all of our hurt. He can use it to make our faith stronger, to make our character stronger, and to show us that He is stronger than any trouble we face.