In the spiritual life persevering is key, and we ought to make it our daily work and responsibility, our daily joy and desire. Our Lord speaks in strong and sobering language to us about persevering: “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth” Revelation 3:15-16. In my experience I do not persevere because I am sinning. Period! So we must guard against giving others the appearance that we are persevering when we are not! We are not kidding God! To be caught up in such appearances is to deny the power of God in our life and is such an utter and deadly waste of our life. Indeed, to be caught up in a pattern of appearing to be present to the Lord is nothing more than the development of a kinship with the world rather than with God. Appearing to follow Christ should be a warning to us that we are not listening to Him nor are we aware of His Divine and Holy Presence. We are preoccupied with the many other voices we welcome into our thoughts, into our minds. I think this is what Jesus is addressing when He says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” Matthew 7:21. To do what Jesus tells you to do is the opposite of appearing to duo what Jesus tells you to do! The Apostle Paul also knows well the value of persevering and the slippery slide that is our fate when failing to persevere. This is why Paul demands of us: “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” James 1:22.
So make it your work, your business, your passionate desire to be faithful to the Lord, faithful to prayer and faithful to being aware of His Holy and Loving Presence. Pray to persevere. Pray too to be intentional and deliberate. Pray!
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness” 2 Corinthians 6:14?
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” Galatians 5:25.
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test” 2 Corinthians 13:5!
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” Ephesians 4:1.
“Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” Matthew 28:20.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world” 1 John 2:15.
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