Endurance - What It Really Looks Like

What keeps you and me holding on when things begin to break down?

Maybe the breakdown started with a death, a broken relationship, a hard diagnosis, or simply the feeling of being worn out and bored with life. What then?

Normally, we go back to what we know, or we begin to slip and do things we shouldn’t. It’s human nature, but it’s not right.

People often wonder why someone returns to an addiction, an unhealthy relationship, or old habits that once trapped them. It’s because the new can be harder, and honestly, it can feel a little scary.

This was exactly what was happening to the Jews that the Apostle Paul was writing to. They were slipping back into tradition and religious comfort zones. Paul said, “We all share in Christ if we keep till the end the sure faith we had in the beginning.” (Hebrews 3:14 NCV)

That may sound like we aren’t saved unless we hang in there until the end. But the phrase is more about faith, not salvation. Faith doesn’t give salvation, it proves it.

Paul also said, “Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.” (Hebrews 11:1 NCV)

If you can figure it out, predict the outcome, or explain every step, then it’s not really faith. Faith is trusting and obeying God when you can’t see how it will all end.

When Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you” (John 15:4 NCV), He wasn’t talking about perfection. He was talking about staying close, staying rooted in Him. True believers stay attached to the vine. The branches that wither and fall away were never truly alive to begin with.

The Apostle John wrote, “They left us, but they did not really belong to us. If they had belonged to us, they would have stayed with us.” (1 John 2:19 NCV)

Christ doesn’t just save, He sustains. The question is, does He in your life? How often do you actually call on God or the Holy Spirit for faith when you walk into the unknown? Or do you try to fix it yourself?

Maybe you’re not even sinning, but you’re doing things that aren’t wise. The writer of Hebrews said, “Be careful that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that will turn you away from the living God.” (Hebrews 3:12 NCV) Not evil like murder or hate, but that quiet drifting that slowly pulls us from trusting Him.

Faith is a big deal. It’s the fuel that keeps you moving forward, not in your own strength, but in God’s.

Scripture shows two truths working together. Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never die, and no one can steal them out of my hand.” (John 10:28 NCV) But He also said, “Those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13 NCV)

Salvation is secure, but it’s also living, it shows up in how we live, especially when life gets hard. Paul said, “God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished.” (Philippians 1:6 NCV)

So sticking to it until the end isn’t about earning salvation. It’s a process of testing, refining, and strengthening. Salvation is the start of the race. Faith is finishing it. The proof of salvation isn’t perfection, it’s persistence.

When I think of endurance, I can’t help but think of the cross. Jesus did not have to leave heaven. He didn’t have to pursue paying the price. He even prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, do not give me this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.” (Matthew 26:39 NCV)

Yet He was willing to do what God called Him to do, to follow His will. Jesus didn’t give up when pain came. He endured the shame, the rejection, the pain, the nails, and the full weight of your and my sin. Why? So your and my soul would be saved after death, salvation.

His death paid our debt of sin. His resurrection defeated death. All of this happened because His faith in God endured to the end.

So what will you do with your challenge, heartbreak, or the steep mountain you’re climbing? I say stay faithful to God. Use wisdom, exercise faith, and watch what God will do for you. He can do things you can’t.

GOD, help me enduring faith. Keep me connected to You and to the Holy Spirit, and help me see the outcome as You see it. IJNIP amen ♥️