Welcome 2017… Here we are, alive and well standing at the starting line of 2017! At the time of this writing there are yet 359 days of unwritten manuscript for your life this year! What are you going to do with your 359 days? Personally, I have dreams and goals which I want to see fill the pages of my year, and I am setting a plan in motion to help me achieve those desires. (Side note: A goal without a plan is just wishful thinking. If you have goals, be sure to have a plan in place so you know how you are going to get to where you want to be). I may not know what you are going to write on the 359 unmarked pages of your year, but I do know, in order for them to be filled with purpose you will need ENDURANCE!
In a world which has come to expect instant gratification, many have lost the art of building fortitude. Consequently, many have regrets at the end of the year simply because they have failed to develop their muscles! I’m not speaking about your physical muscles, although there is merit in building those as well, I am referring to your spiritual muscles. You have spiritual muscles which must be developed to finish your race this year. YES…you are in a race! A race to endure to the end, until Jesus comes again, or He calls you home, you have work to do. You were created with a plan and purpose in mind (Jeremiah 29:11). Uncovering purpose in your everyday life is like running a marathon. To complete a marathon, you must run mile by mile. In your marathon race called life, you must run day by day. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1Corinthians 9:24). If I am going to be in a race, I want to win! What about you?
Winning in life is discovering and fulfilling your God designed purpose.
The only way a marathon runner finishes a race, is to build endurance. He/she does not just wake up one morning and decide to run a marathon with no preparation and expect to make it to the end. Endurance is key to running a marathon and likewise, it is key to uncovering your purpose as you run this race called life. God has equipped you with all you need to live life and win at it. God has given all a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). Your faith needs to be developed. Developing faith takes endurance.
Muscles are built by resistance. Your physical strength will not develop if you do not put your muscles under the pressure of resistance. Strength comes through enduring the workout. Same is true in life. When life puts you under pressure, do not back down or run in the other direction. Rather stand strong, be steadfast in your faith, and endure (James 4:7). Allow the circumstances of life to build your spiritual endurance muscle. Once developed, this spiritual muscle will be the cornerstone to your success.
Life is brimming with opportunities to build your capacity to endure. Because you are alive, I know you have encountered some tough battles. Some may have been self inflicted, others are simply unavoidable. I am sure you wish you could have dodged the combat, yet you endured! You may have some battle scars, but you made it through.Your spiritual muscle is now developing strength. What the enemy meant for harm in your life, God is able to use for your spiritual blessings, and His ultimate glory ( Romans 8:28). This year choose to cooperate with God, build your endurance muscle and live with fortitude.
As you write your 2017 story, be in remembrance of God’s faithfulness to you in the past. Look through your spiritual eyes, and you will see how God used the most difficult challenges to help strengthen you. Despite the fact you were sore, maybe even bleeding, you resisted the temptation to give up, quit, or run in the other direction. You endured!
Be determined to throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles you and weighs you down, and run with endurance the race set out before you (Hebrews 12:1). Be encouraged, this New Year, to run your race with endurance. The pages of your life story in 2017 are yet to be written. Allow endurance to sustain you. Some pages may be written in tears while others will be penned with joy. Ultimately, they will make a lovely story, revealing your testimony of endurance in pursuit of your purpose.
Do not fear for God is with you (Psalms 118:6), you only need to endure. Through endurance you will receive the promises of God (Hebrews 10:36). God is for you not against you (Romans 8:31). YOU WIN!
Uncovering Purpose in everyday life can only be attained through Endurance!
May your 2017 script tell of a love story between you and your heavenly Father. May it reveal your strength to endure in pursuit of your purpose every day!
-Lucy Ann
Challenge Question:
Are you willing to cooperate with God and work out every day to build up your endurance?
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dee leitch says
Thank you again for another challenge. Will try my best to increase my endurance. Looking forward to cooperating with God.
Lucy Ann says
Dee,
Iron sharpens iron…It’s always a blessing to help encourage others on their journey. Thanks for sharing!
Blessings!