Perseverance is the ability to endure failures while still moving forward. Perseverance builds habits, habits build consistency and consistency builds tenacity.
When you are under pressure and face impossibilities, you must keep praising God, believing God, and praying. As long as you keep the faith, you must keep going.
You cannot give up.
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.” – Romans 15:5
There are two types of perseverance:
Natural perseverance – based on your self-will and your own strength.
Supernatural perseverance – the divine ability that comes from God.
From God comes the ability to be patient and to persevere. Perseverance is also relentless diligence.
“But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” – Matthew 24:13
“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” – Revelation 2:10
“The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.” – Revelation 3:5
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. You want to make sure that in the end you are still saved.
Don’t quit in the middle of the journey. Some people have become weary, discouraged, and stagnant.
When you stop moving forward it is much harder to move again.
If you have been praying for something and your prayers haven’t been answered yet, you must keep praying. Those prayers will accumulate. You cannot stop.
One of the greatest weapons of the enemy in the end times is the temptation to quit. Many want to give up especially during these times. But remember Jesus has never taken a break from His faithfulness. He has always been there. Don’t give up on God.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” – Romans 5:3-4
Every time you are going through a crisis, it will produce perseverance and toughness in you. It is a powerful mark of character in a believer.
Reasons why people give up:
They don’t know how long their circumstances will last.
They have disappointments and unfulfilled expectations. They prayed and didn’t receive answers, they received prophetic words that haven’t come to pass.
They have been offended and criticized.
We are here today because God never gave upon us. You must keep your eyes on Jesus, knowing your reward is coming.
What does the Word say about those who persevere?
“To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—” – Revelation 2:26
“The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.” – Revelation 3:5
“The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.” – Revelation 3:12
“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.” – Revelation 3:21
If you are not a quitter God will reward you not only on earth but in heaven.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1-2
There is a cloud of witnesses telling you don’t give up on your calling. Have faith and don’t give up!
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9