Persevere Confidently

Persevere Confidently

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he promised.
Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV

It is a sad thing to live as if faith were the end outcome of the work of Christ. If you have grasped onto faith in God, then it is only the beginning. Think of it this way, no one is better at being you than you. You are God's masterpiece! The purpose of your faith is not only for family rights with God, but you were made alive in Christ to complete the good things he planned for you long ago (Ephesians 2:10). Your faith is not for comfort sake. Faith was never designed for our private consumption.

The steady passing of time can make us weary about doing God’s will. A bad experience makes us recoil from engaging in the work that God has planned for us. And troubles also sometimes make us forget who we belong too. But here is a very certain truth; if you have faith in God, you are among the chosen. Or another scripture calls us "Children of the promise" (Romans 9:8). We are the property of God and we have been entrusted with the good news of Christ. We have been chosen to be the aroma of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15) in a place of need. Where ever we go, we bring a hint of God with us. And if we believers are truly doing the work God has planned for us, then when at our best, we will act as signposts that point toward God.

What does our godly work do in this world? Well, I think that we slow the moral erosion of this world. We change the world with our private prayers. We transform the world with our financial gifts into ministries that speak truth. We bring salt and light into a tasteless deteriorating and dark planet. If you testify, keep the testimony alive. If you pray, keep praying. If you love the hurting, then keep loving. Whatever your gift, keep doing what you are doing for it is what God has called you to. Don't discard your gift because of confusion and disappointments. I know that this life can wear you down. But persevere confidently so you can gain the full reward that the Lord has promised.

We keep at it not only because of the reward, but because we love God. And using our gifts for His glory is the best type of praise we can offer Him.