In our Christian life, enduring until the end is what it’s all about, not just starting well.

The apostle Paul writes of Christians approaching their life as athletes training for the prize. In order to train to win, athletes must endure the long process that it takes to condition and improve. Sometimes it’s not easy to endure. At times giving up is the easier option. When athletes fail to endure, they give up a medal. When we as Christians fail to endure, we give up so much more than that.

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” -Hebrews 12:1-2

Sometimes it can feel like the odds are against us.

It can be very difficult to keep on pressing forward, especially when it feels like we are losing ground. It may be physical or financial setbacks, discouragement from friends or family, a recurring sin, spiritual dryness… the list goes on. All of those things have the ability to derail our race and prevent us from enduring to the end.

However, there are many who have endured! Heroes of the faith such as Martin Luther, Hudson Taylor, and Billy Graham.

Dr. KP Yohannan, has spent almost his entire life dedicated to the ministry. Like many others, he says that it’s not easy. Like everyone, discouragements can derail us from completing our races.  What’s Dr. Yohannan’s secret? How does he find the strength to endure?

Yohannan writes:

The secret of our survival is fixing our eyes on Jesus and making Him alone our focus. Then our walk with God and our commitment to serve Him will no longer depend on whether people treat us right or whether circumstances are in our favor.

In other words, when the circumstances can feel like they are stacked against us, when it looks like we might lose the race, when the easiest option is to quit, we can endure because we are focused on Him who has already won the victory!

Dr. KP Yohannan metropolitan writes extensively about Christian endurance on his Patheos blog.