Perseverance

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:1-5

I’m sure you’ve all heard the say, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.”  As I read these verses in Romans, I feel like it is pretty much the same thing being said.  As Christians, we will suffer yet we have faith and hope through our Lord Jesus Christ, so we know it will make us stronger.  It will build perseverance, character and hope. 

This world is becoming a place filled with more violence, more adversity and sadly, less faith.  It is up to us, as Christians, to stand in our faith and pour out the love that was poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, to those that we come in contact with.  Does that mean that we need to do a hard sell on our faith to every person we come in contact with?  No!  Sharing God’s love does sometimes involve putting yourself out there in ways that might seem uncomfortable, however sometimes sharing God’s love is just how you react to when something has you down.  When you are dealing with something rough in your life, a death, an illness, troubles with a friend or family member, whatever it may be, do you get all negative and have only doom and gloom coming from your lips, or do you try to stay positive and look at the bright side of things?  This is also a good way to share God’s love and your faith in God.

Today I want to encourage you to have perseverance!