Patient Endurance

Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart. _{2 Corinthians 4:1}

This may surprise some of you to hear, but you have been given a ministry from God. Have you discovered it yet? If so, are you pursuing it? If not, ask God to open your heart to what he has for you to do.

It is such a privilege to carry out kingdom work, and it is incredibly rewarding. We get to see God’s grace and goodness being poured out and touching the lives of others. We are carriers of that goodness, carriers of compassion and carriers of encouragement. There will also be times when our efforts are not appreciated and times when the ministry seems difficult, but we are not to lose heart. This is sometimes easier said than done, for it can be discouraging to invest time and energy, only to receive negative results.

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. _{Galatians 6:9}

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he speaks of the God of endurance and encouragement, and that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope ^{Romans 15:4}. So, we are not to lose heart and we are not to grow weary in doing good. In fairness, though, it is not that we get tired of doing good, we just tend to get exhausted from all the ‘doing’.

The key to this is patience. Kingdom work is not a part-time gig, it’s a lifetime role. Why else would God encourage and strengthen us with endurance if it wasn’t going to be needed? Don’t rush the work and don’t run ahead of yourself; there is no joy in weariness. Kingdom work is fulfilling and satisfying when we move in time with the Spirit.

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life._{Romans 2:6,7}

The God of endurance grants us all that we need to carry out the ministry he has given us. Let Him set the pace and then walk with him patiently and faithfully.