Hang In There

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”  Hebrews 10:36

I remember reading about a player on the Guelph Storm who left the team a couple of months into the season last fall and went back home. Problem was, it was the second straight year he had done this! I don’t know what personal issues he was dealing with (homesickness? depression?), but for whatever reason, he lacked the mental and emotional toughness to hang in through difficult times.

The word “endurance” as it appears in the above verse from Hebrews 10, is translated from the original Greek word “HYPOMENO.” It means “to not be swayed from a deliberate purpose by even the greatest trials and suffering,” and is typically translated in the New Testament by words such as “steadfastness,” “constancy” and “endurance.” In our common vernacular, it means “to hang in there.”

Last month I was reading through Hebrews and I noticed that I kept encountering the word “endure” in chapters 10, 11, and 12. Let me show you some of those instances, in addition to the verse above:

“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.”

(11:27 – spoken of Moses as a man of faith and power).

“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,”  (12:1 – a challenge to every Christian).

“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.”  (12:2 - spoken of Jesus during his crucifixion).

“For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  (12:3 - again, spoken of Jesus)

“It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”  (12:7 - another exhortation for us to endure).

The writer of Hebrews wasn’t trying to tickle anyone’s ears. He certainly wouldn’t have won an election running on this campaign – “Moses had to endure, your Saviour had to endure and every one of you needs to endure too!”  This message would probably not fill the pews in many churches today because it calls for sweat and effort, but there it is, front and central in Hebrews, and in many other places in the New Testament as well.  In fact, in the famous passage in John 15 where Jesus says to bear fruit you need to “abide in Me,” the word “abide” (NASB) or “remain” (NIV), comes from the Greek word (MENO) which is the root of the word for “endure” which we have just been studying. In other words, if you want to bear fruit, “be steadfast, remain solid, and hang in there.”

How to grow in endurance? Just a couple of quick thoughts from Hebrews 12 to start you off, but feel free to do more of your own study:

1.       Be aware of the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) surrounding us. I think, from the context of chapter 11, those witnesses are the saints of old who ran with endurance and have passed the torch off to us and cheer us on from heaven. We are being watched!

2.       Lay aside the encumbrances and the sins which so easily entangle us (12:1). It’s hard to run a race when you are wearing galoshes; it’s hard to persevere when you’re weighed down by faith- destroying sinful habits (whatever they are in your own life).

3.       Fix your eyes on Jesus (12:2) and his example of obedience and endurance. He “set His face like flint” (Isaiah 50:7). Be filled with His Spirit- He is now in you!

4.       Consider Jesus (12:3). Consider what? Just consider him – think long, hard, deeply, prayerfully, worshipfully and gratefully about Jesus Christ! The promised outcome – “so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”

As you and I live life, go to work day after day, worship and minister at church, pray, lead Bible studies, raise our families, go to school and deal with all the joys and trials thereof, let us all frequently be heard calling out to one another to – “Hang in there brother / sister! Consider Jesus! Keep your eyes fixed on Him! The saints are watching us!”

John