The Alpha of Patient Perseverance

UV 2124/10000 The Alpha of Patient Perseverance
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved
Mark 13 v 13
In all periods of history, the believers of the word and work of Jesus have been hated and persecuted. Jesus warned His followers that they will be hated and reviled for the servants are not greater than the Master. He set an example of patient perseverance of all kinds of persecution that He Himself faced right from His birth. But He patiently endured it all knowing it is His Father’s will. Before His trial and crucifixion, He even shed sweat drops of blood in His agony but He prayed, “ Not my will but Yours be done.”
When we undergo suffering for the faith we have, we should not wilt or draw back. We should not complain or expect pity or sympathy but emulating the example of Jesus and the apostles, drink the cup of suffering willingly. When we endure suffering till the very end, we are victorious in Christ. Whatever we give up for the Lord, we will be rewarded in the kingdom of heaven. The early followers of Jesus went to their violent deaths torn apart by lions, burnt at the stake and so on with thanksgiving and praise on their lips. The hope in the promise that they would receive a crown of glory sustained them through the pain and suffering. They valued their faith more valuable than their lives, eternal life more valuable than earthly lives. Prayer, praise and thankgiving even in their dying moments seemed like an effective anaesthetic for their extreme pain and suffering. Their testimonies endured while the tyrants who ordered their unjust killing have gone into oblivion and eternal suffering.
Having begun the race of faith and grace well, we should continue running till the very end, regardless of the hurdles and obstacles we face. We may not be popular or esteemed by people but the Lord esteems us. He gives us the strength to endure, the patience, the perseverance, the tenacity, the resilience to withstand the trials and tribulations that our faith exposes us to. The Lord is with us in our times of intense suffering even as He was with Daniel’s friends in the burning hot furnace to shield them from the searing flames. They held onto their faith stating that they believed God will save them but even if He chose not to, they would not turn their backs on their faith.