When I think about endurance in the context of scripture, this verse from Hebrews 12:1 comes to mind, as it states:
“…And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
I believe that the “race” God has set before each of us is the path that our lives take to become like Christ . It isn't a typical race of competition between others to be the best or achieve the most. The race is simply our personal marathon of pursing our faith throughout the course of our lives.
A race can be defined as moving at full speed, and that’s exactly what I thought God expected of me. To fulfill His purpose for my life and run my race efficiently, I believed I had to go, do, work, strive, and constantly exert myself for the good of God’s will. I thought my level of endurance was produced by how gracefully I faced trials and persisted through hardships. The more I struggled, the more effort I exuded, the more exhausted I became, the more worthy I was to fulfill God’s call on my life and run the race He had destined for me to complete.
Upon reflection, I realize that the action of running distracted me from the requisite of endurance. I'm not meant to simply run the race, I need to run with endurance. Endurance is our ability to withstand difficult situations. It strengthens our stamina and sustains our health when we face adversity, hardship, or prolonged stress.
In today’s society, it’s easy to get caught up in the fast pace of life—accomplishing this, doing that, working here, serving there—and eventually run ourselves ragged. Although balance plays a key role in our lifestyle habits, our stamina to handle stress is also a factor. Running with endurance implies that we don’t simply run at full speed during every leg, we pace ourselves and keep moving forward. We don’t turn away from adversities or give up on ourselves, we push through every obstacle.
An added boost to our endurance is found when we trust in the promises of scripture. Here are a few pertinent verses to remember:
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
When we rely on the truth of scripture, our endurance is strengthened. God's Word can transform our thoughts and increase our endurance to keep pressing on throughout the course of our life's race.
Rest Produces Endurance
When runners train for a race, rest is crucial. Putting constant strain on muscles and joints can be harmful, so designated breaks for recovery are important to develop endurance and improve performance.
The same is true for our emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Rest is meant to renew our strength and increase our endurance. Without rest, we risk running ourselves into the ground and losing sight of the importance of our life’s purpose. If we don’t allow ourselves to recuperate from life’s constant pace, we will never recover and regain motivation to keep moving forward. Rest and recovery are crucial to live out God’s calling for our lives.
A few years ago, I was running a marathon leg of my predestined race. The constant pace of doing, going, working, serving, and striving was exhausting. It felt like I was physically drowning, trying to keep my head above water as I doggy-paddled my way across the pool of purpose. Although there were other reasons why I struggled persevering, one major issue was my level of endurance. I started the race in full stride with strength and motivation, yet as time went on, my stamina grew thin. I tried to keep swimming in the aquatic race God had set before me, hoping that I'd reach the refuge of the shallow-end soon. I knew I needed rest, but I didn’t believe there was time for such a sacrifice, so I kept submerging myself in the splashes of my exhausted strides.
I used to think that rest was laziness. If I wasn’t exerting myself, accomplishing something, or working toward goals, I wasn’t running the race God planned for my life. Now, I understand that rest is meant to rejuvenate us and develop our endurance. Rest isn’t a sign of weakness; it is a practice of strength.
God Ordained Rest
“Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:3
From the beginning, God designated rest as an essential part of life. After He formed creation, God made a time of rest holy, something sacred. He blessed the seventh day as the Sabbath, a remembrance of all the work He had done and a time of complete reprieve.
The fourth Commandment specifically says in Exodus 20:8, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy", following God's example at creation. The Sabbath is intended as a time for us to renew ourselves after work or hardship and reflect on the Lord's goodness. Rest is a sacred regimen that we're supposed to practice! It was even a habit that Jesus prioritized.
It says in Luke 5:16, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Jesus knew that rest was essential to recharge His emotional and spiritual stamina to continue doing the Lord’s work. He chose to prioritize self-care by pausing His ministry efforts and spending time in the presence of His Father, renewing His spirit through prayer and petition.
In different parts of scripture, we find Jesus taking time to rest:
In Matthew 8:23, before the storm began out at sea, Jesus was sleeping.
In Mark 6:46, after Jesus fed the 5,000, he went alone to pray.
In Mark 1:35, after healing many people, Jesus went to a solitary place to pray.
Jesus knew the significance of rest. It was a vital practice to strengthen His endurance to fulfill God’s plan for His life. Jesus never let the chaos around Him distract Him from His purpose. He ran His race, made time to rest, and obeyed the Lord’s will. That is what we’re called to do, too.
“It was in solitude, alone with God, talking to God, depending on God alone for sustenance that He grew curiously stronger.” Hosanna Wong
Prioritizing Rest
“Sometimes rest is the most courageous work of all. We often must be still in order to realize we are vessels God will always fill.” K.J. Ramsey
Resting isn’t always easy. Sometimes it feels impossible to designate time away from responsibilities, schedules, and expectations to simple pause life and relax. Yet, rest is what reenergizes us to keep fulfilling our roles, execute our callings, and recover our strength. It is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
In order to prioritize rest, we need to reframe our understanding of what rest means. Resting isn’t just napping, sleeping, or binge-watching TV. It is the act of ceasing work in order to mitigate stress. You can experience rest in many ways, from going on a walk, journaling your feelings, getting a massage, or taking a break from your device. Practices that alleviate our focus from the chaos of life and release the pressure of stress from our shoulders create an atmosphere of rest and help regulate ourselves to relax. When we reframe the idea of rest as simple breaks for recovery, it can become a more practical lifestyle change. Rest doesn’t have to be this tremendous task that we cannot make time for. It should be whatever restful practices work best for us and our current pace of life.
God Will Give Us Rest
The best restful habits we can practice are those spent with the Lord:
When we go on a nature walk and listen to worship music, our souls are refreshed.
When we journal our prayers, our emotional burdens are relieved.
When we take a five-minute break and recite scripture, our mind is renewed.
Spending time resting in Jesus comforts our spirits and strengths our endurance.
However, sometimes finding rest feels completely out of my control. I know that rest is important, but I can't seem to relax from the overwhelming burdens of life. When we experience challenging times like these, we need to rely on our faith in Christ for restoration.
In John 16:33, Jesus specifically says,” Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” When we trust in God’s sovereignty, we place our lack of control into the Hands of the One who is in complete control. By our faith in Christ, the obstacles along our life’s race will be overcome, we need only to trust in God’s faithfulness.
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” When we can’t seem to catch a break, when our lives are too busy to find physical rest, when we emotionally cannot handle the weight of our responsibilities, we need to remember that Jesus is always there for us.
The apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Although we need endurance to run our life's race, we must remember that we're not running it alone. Our endurance is strengthen when we rely on Christ because He is right there with us! We're not meant to run each leg invincibly at full speed. Running the race of our lives with endurance means that we stay the course at whatever pace is necessary for us to keep moving forward. God wants us to take breaks for rest and rely on His loving care to sustain us throughout the course of life.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
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