Stay At It—Two2Grow, Sunday, July 26
Stay At It!—Two2Grow, Sunday, July 26
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NIV
When I had just graduated from Bible college, I served the Lord as a missionary in Kenya. There was an amazing revival at the time, and many people gave their lives to Jesus. I was part of open-air meetings where tens of thousands of people gathered, and large numbers of them were saved. We also witnessed incredible miracles of healing and deliverance.
However, I noticed that a common problem was that once these new believers encountered obstacles in life—perhaps unanswered prayers or strong temptations—they became discouraged and walked away from their newfound faith.
As I prayed to God for direction on how to minister to these new believers, He reminded me that Kenyans are among the greatest marathon runners in the world. (Years later, thst is still ture. For example, in the most recent New York Marathon, both the men’s and women’s winners were from Kenya.)
So I began preaching that the Christian life is not a sprint—it is a marathon, and that believers in Kenya should become spiritual marathon runners. I saw how powerfully this image communicated. Yet this truth applies to everyone, not just those in Africa.
We all need to be reminded of the importance of perseverance. As anyone who has run longer distances knows, it takes perseverance and a resolute mindset not to give up.
That is what we need in our Christian lives.
We need to decide not to give up. We need to stay at it—come what may, whatever the cost, and whether we feel like it or not. No matter what our friends say, whether coworkers make fun of us or classmates think we are weird, we remain faithful to Jesus.
The promise is that your faithfulness to the Lord will produce an abundant reward—if you do not give up.
Jesus, I want to live faithfully for You today. Help me by Your Holy Spirit to persevere and not give up. Amen.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD
When I had just graduated from Bible college, I served the Lord as a missionary in Kenya. There was an amazing revival at the time, and many people gave their lives to Jesus. I was part of open-air meetings where tens of thousands of people gathered, and large numbers of them were saved. We also witnessed incredible miracles of healing and deliverance.
However, I noticed that a common problem was that once these new believers encountered obstacles in life—perhaps unanswered prayers or strong temptations—they became discouraged and walked away from their newfound faith.
As I prayed to God for direction on how to minister to these new believers, He reminded me that Kenyans are among the greatest marathon runners in the world. (Years later, thst is still ture. For example, in the most recent New York Marathon, both the men’s and women’s winners were from Kenya.)
So I began preaching that the Christian life is not a sprint—it is a marathon, and that believers in Kenya should become spiritual marathon runners. I saw how powerfully this image communicated. Yet this truth applies to everyone, not just those in Africa.
We all need to be reminded of the importance of perseverance. As anyone who has run longer distances knows, it takes perseverance and a resolute mindset not to give up.
That is what we need in our Christian lives.
We need to decide not to give up. We need to stay at it—come what may, whatever the cost, and whether we feel like it or not. No matter what our friends say, whether coworkers make fun of us or classmates think we are weird, we remain faithful to Jesus.
The promise is that your faithfulness to the Lord will produce an abundant reward—if you do not give up.
Jesus, I want to live faithfully for You today. Help me by Your Holy Spirit to persevere and not give up. Amen.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD