Press On

 

    Endurance is a muscle that must be worked or it will atrophy.  Endurance is worked in the hard times, spiritual warfare, and trials.  Endurance is part of perseverance.  They work together to make you strong to serve God.  The soul would not persevere in some areas just for you.  It is driven by something bigger than yourself.

    You are the most vulnerable to fall or become complacent after a victory.  You may thing you have conquered something.  A better perspective is to enjoy the victory, rest, and prepare for what comes next.  Never become complacent.  The rest you need is in God's stronghold.  It is not the rest that makes you lazy, entitled, or turning it into an idol.  

    Pressing on is staying connected.  It is staying committed and being reliable.  If you start isolating or doing things your way, then you are leaving yourself vulnerable to spiritual attack.  You will not have anyone there for you to support you or help you when you are wounded.  The burdens of life will only get heavier because you don't have anyone to help you with them.  God is always with you, but He will not make life easier when you are not being obedient.

    In the United States, this is the biggest problem among Christians.  Christians are not uniting and becoming strong.  Christians are not going to church or being a community.  Christians are trying to do everything on their own because the culture is to be independent.  This was never a part of God's plan for your life.  It takes pressing on to change the Christian culture to get it back to what God wants.

    When you press on alone you are going to struggle with soul fatigue, tired and hurting body, despair, depression, impatience, believing Satan's lies, and more.  You are setting yourself up for the kind of burn out that is hard to recover from.  

    You fight independence with accepting the truth, relying on God, and trusting the people that He puts in your life.  The people God puts in your life will be an answer to prayer.  He will put people there to challenge you, but they are there to help you see the truth more clearly.  Stay close to God by faith and obedience.  The closer to Him that you are the stronger, more energized, and confident you will be.  

    Pressing on takes wisdom, accountability, and honesty to be done well.  The Holy Spirit will lift your spirits even when things are uncomfortable or hard.  Embrace self-discipline as a part of who you are so that you will stay in God's Word, pray, and listen everyday.  See where you failed, learn, repent, and move on.  Do not get stuck.  God is with you.  You can do this.  You are victorious, beautiful, and strong with God.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19, 1 Kings 18:18-19, 19:1-9, Psalm 40:1-3, 42:5-8, 62:5-8, Proverbs 6:6-11, 24:30-34, Romans 15:1-4, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Ephesians 6:10-12, Philippians 3:12-14, 2 Timothy 2:15-18