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Plainly Speaking
with Karl J. Forehand
Faithful
Endurance
(James 1:2-4)
by
Karl J. Forehand
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith
produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing. (James 1:2-4)
A key word in this passage
is “endurance.” Some translations
render it “patience” or “long-suffering.”
The Greek word hupomeno means to “abide under” the
circumstances. Usually when we focus
on this passage, we talk about “joy.”
We immediately go into a discussion about how joy is different than
happiness and how you can actually have joy even when you are unhappy.
While it is certainly true that
we have to learn to have joy in any circumstances, there is something more to
this passage – there is something deeper.
While joy is attitude, endurance speaks of character. The outward attitude of joy in any
circumstance is under girded by the inner character of endurance.
Thayer say of hupomeno: “In the New Testament, it is the
characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and
his loyalty to faith and piety even the greatest trials and sufferings.” Many of us have asked, “How can I ‘consider
it joy’.” We have to first develop
the character of endurance.
Paul expressed this idea many
times when he talked about “finishing the race.” He knew it first hand.
He would travel hundreds of miles to spread the Gospel. A church would begin, then he would be
persecuted or stoned or run out of town.
He would then proceed to the next town and start again. The writer of Hebrews echoes the
principle: “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding
us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily
entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us,”
Make sure you understand that
endurance is not passivity or procrastination. It is not an excuse to sit on the bench – it is playing through
the pain. It is not permission to
watch the race go by – it is an admonition to get IN the race. Billy Graham was a part of a dynamic trio
that set was setting the world on fire.
The other two men basically faded into the wood work after only a few
years. Billy Graham had endurance –
the other two didn’t.
How do we faithfully endure?
1. Realize Endurance works with
resistance.
Our
society is in a race to create a pain-free existence. Almost every ad on television is geared
toward “making our life easier.” My
son is taking soccer and experiencing pains in places he never experienced it
before. Why? He is developing new muscles and new
endurance. Jogging would not benefit
us if there was no friction or wind resistance. I have yet to find a flat spot in the area of Nebraska that I
live; but my legs have never been stronger – It seems that I’m always walking
up hill.
Have you ever heard the
expression, “No pain, no gain.”
This doesn’t mean that God wants
us to be miserable. The opposite is
actually true, since He says “Consider it all joy.” Usually the very trial that God allowed into our lives to make
us stronger is the one we are trying to avoid because it is painful. The question is “Are you getting better or
just getting bitter?” Endurance
builds the attitude of joy.
2. Realize endurance it toward a
goal
I have come to realize that
farming many times necessitates the attitude of survival. Often, for farmers, just surviving to the
next year is considered success.
Although this is noble, it is not the goal of Christianity. Christianity is concerned with progress toward a goal.
Our progress toward the goal is
often halted by something “going wrong.”
We start a Bible study and not enough people attend. We start a ministry and it experiences
some setbacks. We think “It must not
be the will of God.” Where do we get
that idea? Jesus, Paul and James all
experienced setbacks that helped them realize they WERE on the right
track.
I believe we often consider
situations to be setbacks that may be progress. The perceived setback or diversion may be the only way God can
take us to the goal He has set for us.
This passage says “let it” happen.
We have to allow God to teach us to endure. We have to let the character of endurance be developed in us
toward the goal.
What is the goal?
3. Realize the goal is maturity
(completion)
I am beginning to realize
that much of pastoral success can be attributed to endurance. It is not the super ability to speak or
administrate or imagine new programs.
People told me that I “hit the ground running” when I first began to
pastor. I have never been afraid to
try new things; so I jumped in and began to work. However, if I could advise a new pastor of anything I would
tell them, “Don’t get in a hurry.”
This race is about endurance – it is not a sprint. I have been pasturing for five years and I
feel like I am just getting started.
God’s goal is to progressively
develop us toward maturity. In other
words, endurance is a long-haul endeavor.
It is not permission to set on the bench. It IS an encouragement to:
Get in the race – set a steady pace – never, never, never quit. This poem is long but worth the read.
The Race
“Quit!” “Give up,
you’re beaten,” they shout and plead
there’s just too much against you now, this time you can’t succeed.
And as I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
And hope refills my
weakened will as I recall that scene,
for just the thought of that short race rejuvenates my being.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so
full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their fathers watched from off the side, each cheering for his son,
and each boy hoped to show his dad that he would be the one.
The whistle blew and
off they went, young hearts and hopes of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, his dad was in the crowd,
was running near the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded
down the field across a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought to win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his hands, flew out to brace,
and mid the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
So, down he fell and
with him hope, he couldn’t win it now.
Embarrassed, sad, he only wished to disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no
damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs, he slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had
quit before with one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
But, in the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face,
that steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to
try again, ten yards behind the last,
if I’m going to gain those yards, he thought, I’ve got to run real fast.
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight or ten,
but trying so hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there
silently, a tear dropped from his eye,
there’s no sense running anymore—three strikes I’m out—why try?
The will to rise had disappeared, all hope had fled away,
so far behind, so error prone, closer all the way.
“I’ve lost, so what’s
the use,” he thought, “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.
“Get up,” an echo sounded low. “Get up and take your place.
You were not meant for failure here, get up and win that race.”
With borrowed will,
“Get up,” it said, “you haven’t lost at all,
for winning is not more than this; to rise each time you fall.”
So, up he rose to run once more, and with a new commit,
he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the
others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran as though to win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered the
winning runner as he crossed, first place;
head high and proud and happy—no falling, no disgrace.
but, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, last place,
the crowd gave him the greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he
came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”
And now when things seem
dark and hard and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
“Quit!” “Give up,
you’re beaten,” they still shout in my face,
but another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race.”
Family Times
(Source: http://www.bible.org/illus/e/e-22.htm)
Karl
J. Forehand, 2002
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