Episode 356: I’m Talkin…Endurance

I’m talking episode 356 for February 9th, 2025.

This is Joel from the I’m Talking Microcast, where I share my thoughts on a topic that has piqued my interest this past week.

This week, we’re talking endurance.

So I think endurance requires us to start with the definition.

There are a couple of ways to look at it, but the one that I liked that said, the capacity to last or withstand wear and tear.

And I think that sounded like a good definition to me, and as I was thinking of the word, for the most part, we think of endurance as a good trait.

It’s often associated with, uh, maybe sporting events, maybe even more long distance type sporting events.

But the one thing that it points to also is a level of self-worth, not that that’s bad, but it, it points to a person or an individual and what they have the ability to do, and it’s almost a look at me moment.

And in that instance, it can be a little bad and therein lies the challenge for those of us who call ourselves Christians.

So the word endurance comes from my Bible verse this week, which is Hebrews 12 verses one and two.

It says, therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off the weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up and let us run with endurance the race God has placed before us.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith because of the joy awaiting him.

He endured the cross disregarding it.

Shame.

Now he sits in the place of honor next to God’s throne.

So you see the word endurance and endure twice there.

One in a command to us as people that says run with endurance, the races God has placed before you.

And the other one where it says that Jesus endured the cross, very different aspects of the word, but still the same.

When you think of the capacity to last or withstand wear and tear, it’s, it’s a good way to look at that.

But the thing is that as Christians, we know that we are not capable of endurance on our own.

We see what Christ did on the cross.

Not many people.

And in fact, maybe no one would be able to go through the pain that Christ endured for us on the cross and, and live.

I mean, I know he died as well, but even probably many would have died before they made it to the cross.

And so we recognize that to endure as Christ endured takes something different.

And that is not within ourselves.

We are not capable on our own.

And that is why Christ has given us the Holy Spirit so that we have that capacity to endure, that capacity to handle wear and tear, whatever that may look like in your particular Christian walk.

And we have witnesses that we can rely on to help us run that race with endurance.

We have the example of what Christ did on the cross for us.

And so how do we do it?

The verse is simple and clear.

It says by keeping our eyes on Jesus.

Until next week, this is Joel from the I’m Talking Microcast.

So just a little shout out here at the end of my microcast this week.

Today, my father-in-law turns 80.

He is a great father-in-law.

He is a great man of God.

I look up to him on a regular basis.

I enjoy our relationship.

And Mike, I just want to wish you a happy birthday.