Perseverance is defined as “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.” When I think of perseverance, I tend to think about it as completing a difficult task. Sometimes it has been finishing a hard workout, my master’s degree, or the last trimester of pregnancy. You mamas know what I mean! What really sticks out to me in this definition is “delay in achieving success.” God has been teaching me that perseverance can feel more passive, it’s in the waiting for a promise to be fulfilled that we need to persevere.
Patience is not a character trait which comes easily to me. I like to jump in with both feet and figure things out as I go. Waiting is boring and passive. Or so I thought. What I have been learning is when we are waiting for our promises to be fulfilled, is when God is doing the hard work inside of us.
I have been listening to Waiting on God by Wayne Stiles and it’s the story of Joseph and how he had to wait on God for His promises to be fulfilled. When Joseph was 17, he had two dreams that his parents and brothers would one day bow to him. The brothers were jealous of their father’s love towards Joseph and of his dreams. They sold him into slavery, and he became a slave of Potiphar. For many years Joseph waited on God for his promise to be fulfilled. This was not an easy journey for Joseph and there were many trials. Hebrews 10:36 says, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Joseph persevered through his time as a slave and received God’s promise in the end. He interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and saved many lives because of it.
Sarah waited many, many years to have a baby. AT the age of 90 God told Abraham, “I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her.” (Genesis 17:16) What seemed impossible, God made possible. One thing Wayne Stiles discusses in his book is how the bible is filled with the action and not with the waiting. Sarah was a woman just like you and me. I imagine her feeling the same way I do when I’m waiting and questioning God. She probably questioned whether it was God’s will for her to have a baby and if it wasn’t, then why does she have such a desire to be a mom?
While God has had me wait, I’ve begun to lean on him more than ever before. I think this is why He has us wait. It causes us to ask Him questions and search for answers in His word. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” When the waiting gets too hard, I call on friends to pray for me and talk about what is going on. We weren’t created to persevere alone and in all honesty, we won’t make it if we try to.
Finally, Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” God has promised us a harvest when we persevere. God’s timing is always best. So, keep doing good in the waiting, keep learning on God, and ask Him questions.
We would like to thank Chelsea Criswell for writing this post
Women's Ministry 