Bob was intrigued with the question, and posed it to his small group Bible
study. During our week in Dallas with Bob and Nancy, that question became part
of the dinner conversation one night.
It’s a good question because it admits that life is hard. We
need to figure out how to keep on keeping on. Certainly missionaries who serve
God cross-culturally need special endurance, but so do all of us Christians. It's also a good question because when we share our answers, we help one another find more ways to keep running our race.
So what is it that keeps us from tubing out? How do we
continue to walk in holiness when enticements to impurity assault us at every
turn? How do we keep trusting Christ when God allows or allots suffering and
heartache? How can we finish our race when it would be far easier to drop out and sit on the sidelines?
I’ve been pondering Bob’s question for a week or so now. I
know that ultimately my perseverance is God’s gift and not my effort. Without
His steadying hand and sustaining power, I would surely stumble and fall. [He]
will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1
Corinthians 1:8).
But here are some of the ways He keeps me going.- Grooves of grace. One of my seminary profs used to talk about “ruts of routine” (to be avoided) and “grooves of grace” (to be cultivated). Daily time in prayer and in the Scriptures is an essential “groove” to keep me on track. God's presence and God's promises are the foundation for any steps forward that I take.
- Special people. I am blessed with a wonderful wife who always makes my life better and has been a constant encourager for over 40 years. My children and grandchildren are my joy. God has brought friends and a church family who hold me up and help me run the race.
- Christ's cause. Even a great job can become boring and you can end up just going through the motions. I want my daily routine to have a direct connection to serving Jesus. Glorifying Him, helping introduce others to Him and getting them ready to live for Him is essential for me to stay on track.
- Fresh air and exercise. To maintain my sanity and spiritual equilibrium, I have to get outside and walk or jog three or four times a week. I don’t know whether it’s the solitude or the endorphins, but I think better and pray more easily while I’m exercising.
- An eternal perspective. Disappointments are not so crushing, nor accomplishments so important when you measure them against eternity. The applause of people is nothing compared to the “well done, good and faithful servant” I hope to hear one day.
Okay, that’s my list. What keeps you going? Maybe your story will become part of the answer for someone else.
