To Quote Job; Building Endurance

One of the most famous statements in the book of Job may be, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).

I have been giving more thought to this recently. It has been surprising to have to have cardiac procedures and to be starting cardiac rehab. In a sense the Lord as taken away a certain amount of physical expectation. However, on the other side of this, He has seen fit in His infinite wisdom to give me time to reflect.

How have I used the time He has given me so far? How will I use whatever time remains after this? Have I been so focused on earthly matters--horizontal living--so as to skimp on developing a heavenly mindset--vertical, eternal?

Colossians 3:1-4 reminds all believers: "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."

Until then, there are responsibilities to fulfill.

Building Endurance

One of the goals of cardiac rehab is to build physical endurance, and not just for the weeks that rehab includes. After that, we move into maintaining such. I know that will be the most challenging aspect. It's easy to procrastinate maintaining those requirements.Even so, that will help temporarily. I need to do this. Just as in his first letter to Timothy, Paul stated, "For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:8).

The writer of Hebrews had much to say about building spiritual endurance in encouraging the readers of this letter.

He reminds them of what they experienced and then says, "Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised" (Hebrews 10:35-36).

Hebrews 11 enumerates those who had previously walked by faith. This chapter begins, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it men of old gained approval.... And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that His is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:1-2,6). And the chapter concludes, "And all these, having gained acceptance through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:39-40).

What more can we take away from Hebrews?

Hebrews 12 makes clear: "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-4).

Later in Hebrews 12 we also read, "He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righterousness" (Hebrews 12:10b-11)

James also connects trials with endurance: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing  that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you have be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:3-4). "We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealing, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful" (James 5:11).

 What do I see are the benefits in building spiritual endurance? In Hebrews 12: so that we may share in His holiness and bear the peaceful fruit of righteousness, and in James 1 that the testing of our faith through trials produces endurance, and that endurance is perfecting and completing us (sanctifying). and reveals in James 5 that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.