Staying Power: The Mark of Maturity
It’s easy to start something when the excitement is fresh. It’s also easy to quit when things get tough. But what marks mature believers isn’t how loud we start or how quicky we finish…it’s how faithfully we stay.
The apostle Paul had a remarkable resume of staying power. He endured unspeakable danger and hardship that put the S in the word suffering. When confronted with difficult people and circumstances he wrote to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 11: 23-28) humbly boasting about his suffering, not the great things he’d accomplished or done.
Maturity Mark #1: Stay Through Struggle
Perseverance isn’t proven in comfort, but in hardship. Staying through the struggle means we refuse to let suffering, opposition, or weariness push us out of the call of God.
Paul goes on to write to the Phillipians that he is forgetting what lies behind and pressing on towards what’s ahead. (Phillipians 3: 12-14) He admits he hasn’t “arrived” yet, but he’s refusing to get stuck in the past. When distractions, regrets, or complacency set in, we can choose to react in a different, more mature way.
Maturity Mark #2: Stay Focused on the Goal
Staying focused keeps us moving forward when it might seem easier to stop or turn around. If our ultimate goals is intimacy with Christ, no other goal will compare or tempt us to quit!
Maturity Mark #3: Stay Faithful to the Finish
In one of his last letters that Paul wrote to young Timothy he says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
Paul uses the metaphors fight, race and faith to summarize his life’s perseverance. So how do WE keep this staying power?
· The Spirit’s empowering (Galatians 6:9)
· Having our hope fully anchored in Jesus (Hebrews 12: 1-2)
· Live out our faith in community (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Have thoughts or questions about today’s episode? Message us or leave a comment below.