7 Christian Principles to Grow Your Faith:

Building a Stronger Trust Series

Part 4 Perseverance:  

We have reached the halfway point in this journey through brethren Peter’s teaching on building a stronger faith. In the first three parts of this series, our discussion covered virtue, knowledge and self-control. As we continue to practice those our faith broadens, and we draw closer to God.

Peter now discloses perseverance and for good reason.

Peter’s experience with the power of persevering came in his three denials of Christ (Matthew 26: 69-75) during Jesus’s arrest. After the cock crowed once, and he remembered Christ’s prediction, he had a choice. He reached a crucial crossroad; continue to deny the Savior or persevere through repentance. He chose the latter and reconnected with Christ. As the result of his effort to right himself the church developed. It was time for fulfilling Christ’s command to share the Good News.  

And today we are bonded together in that same church ministered by Jesus.

Perseverance is a driving force behind faith since it takes persistent effort to keep seeking Christ in times of trouble. Life isn’t trial, free, and tribulations happen to everyone. Unbelievers have problems, but they are absent from the Lord Jesus Christ. Through God’s grace we have the Messiah. Christ’s impact is profound.  

We use perseverance daily to meet our personal responsibilities. For example, a mother’s maternal instinct motivates her to care for her children. She finds the strength not to lay in bed and gets up to care for her child. She doesn’t let personal desires get in her way.

Employment has similar actions to take in meeting financial obligations. Life’s circumstances push us to make money so we can offer food and shelter. We could quit, but we trudge through the monotony because homeless isn’t a choice. Other areas of our lives, we do the same. We are eager to find ways to improve the quality our lives.

Salvation is incredible. The moment we show Christ the same determination He teaches us God’s values. When we channel our will to live over to God’s care He promises us a place in His kingdom. The Lord’s key for entrance is accepting Christ as the way to eternity. That makes our lives spiritually, useful and whole.

Prayer is an excellent measuring stick of how perseverance plays a key role in growing faith. Sometimes praying over issues takes time. Every one of us experiences waiting for God’s answers. It’s through constant prayer, we realize the Lord has heard us. We find peace over a troublesome problem or our judgment of others changes. Those are just two results from our willingness to keep praying. Behind every answered pray is God’s grace.

 My struggles with the narrow way help me turn to Christ. I try my best to stay willing and seek God in my daily affairs. (Proverbs 3: 5-6). Reliance on Christ is incredible. He has made it worth living, and that motivates me to continue picking up my cross.

Pride, anger, and other sins try to dominate my heart but through exerting my actions in God’s will they disappear. Through Christ, the bondage of sin takes a backseat and humility paves the way to an unshakable faith. Knowing my life isn’t perfect perseverance allows me to sleep with a clean conscious. I wake up the next morning renewed.

Perseverance anchors many Christian principles including those in this series. Every one of them needs to be practiced fervently. Active faith evolves and is infinite. Our final resting place is heaven. Don’t give up keep relying on Christ and experience the impossible.