Photo by Morgan David de Lossy on Unsplash
Photo by Mark McGregor on Unsplash
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https://ozsazzles.podbean.com/e/how-to-keep-going-when-life-gets-hard-fixing-our-eyes-on-jesus/
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16 (NIV)
Children can teach us so much. They are extremely open and honest and overflow with hope, joy and determination. They expect good things to happen. When they fall over there may be a few tears, but they quickly get up and try again. They don’t give up.
Many years ago, when we were on holiday, my 6-year-old son and his cousin could swim in the pool. However, my 4-year-old daughter did not know how. The boys teased her of course, swimming to the deep end and calling out in a sing-songy voice “You can’t come here ’cause you can’t swi-im”. Well, the answer was a furious “I can too swim! And I will swim over there!” Followed by poking her tongue out for good measure. Within a couple of days, she was swimming and proved them wrong. In fact, in time she became a stronger swimmer than her older brother.
My daughter demonstrated determination, perseverance and a strong faith in her ability to swim just like the boys could. It was fascinating to witness. She struggled time and time again, arms flailing and body sinking. She swallowed a lot of water and her Pa and I had to save her a few times. However, after coughing, spluttering and the occasional vomit, she would look up at me, smile, wrinkle her nose and say “I’m swimming good aren’t I mummy?” I would agree with her, letting her know I could see she was improving. She was full of joy while she was struggling and learning to swim. My daughter was so pleased with herself and shone with happiness and pride.
My daughter’s example can teach us a very valuable lesson about perseverance.
Perseverance is continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure.
wikidiff.com
Regardless of the context, whether suffering or experiencing gladness, hold onto the faith that God is good and He is with us in everything. With every trial, worship the Lord. With every blessing give glory to God. You can use both times of struggle and rejoicing to raise your faith and deepen your relationship with Him.
Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favoured by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 (AMP)
In the past I wandered away from God and I will never risk that again. I want to be like my daughter and persevere regardless of whether it feels like I am drowning. I want to be someone who runs the good race to the finish. Someone who doesn’t fall away at the end.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…
Hebrews 12:1-2(NIV)
The cloud of witnesses are the saints and angels watching us. I believe that the people we know and come into contact with watch how we respond to good times and hard times. How we behave in these situations speaks volumes about the God we serve. It is a powerful statement of the goodness of God and glorifies Him. Our example may lead people to God or turn them away.
So how do we persevere? How do we continue in the face of struggles? We remember that the things of this world are temporary. We focus on Jesus, and the goodness of God. We get into His word (the bible). We remember His promises and His faithfulness from the past. We spend time with God, soaking in His presence. We pray and meditate on scripture. We worship God and thank Him for being with us through everything.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
Colossians 3:1-2 (NLT)
Praise God in everything. Speak it out loud. Initially, we may only be able to muster a whisper. However, every time we declare His promises and describe his faithfulness, goodness and mercies, our conviction will grow, our voice will become stronger and louder. We may even find ourselves shouting. When we glorify and honour God in songs and words it changes our mindset and the atmosphere around us, because the Lord inhabits the praises of His people (Ps 22:3 [KJV]). And where the Light of the World shines, darkness flees.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:5
I absolutely love the song Praise by Elevation Worship, and it is so true – “with everything praise the Lord.” Take the time to listen to it today. Hope it blesses you too.
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References:
BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages.
What Does the Bible Say About Light And Darkness? (openbible.info)
Jesus 4 Generations 
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