Endurance: A Difficult but Essential Quality

Those who endure great obstacles are inspiring. The movie Rocky tells a story about an amateur boxer who endures extremely demanding training to last fifteen exhausting rounds against the reigning heavyweight boxing champion. Soldiers must endure the rigors of war, and a few become inspiring war heroes by enduring extreme danger to save their comrades-in-arms or to seize a crucial battleground.

Endurance—this word may make us feel uncomfortable because it makes us think of hard work, discipline, difficulties, and obstacles. But to be successful in just about any venture, endurance is key—and it is a biblical attribute that Christians need.

We can learn about endurance from those who engage in sports such as triathlons, long-distance running, rowing, cycling, and so on. These athletes must train the body and the mind as well as follow health regimens. Professional athletes must endure rigorous training for high-level competition. It is often said that an athlete or a team “left it all” on the field or the court. This is a popular idiomatic expression that means someone expended all their effort in trying to win the game.

Such athletes must have the right mindset—a strong desire and focus on the right goal. The goal must be desired above all else, so as to motivate them toward the hard work and self-sacrifice required to achieve the goal. Likewise, a follower of Christ must also have the right mindset and the right goal; they must “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

Endurance is a most vital quality of anyone who would follow the true teachings of Jesus Christ. He described the signs of the times and the end of the age in answer to His disciples’ questions, which included His promise that “he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). A true Christian must endure difficulty, trials, and obstacles, just like the athlete expending all effort, in order to endure to the end, never giving up.

The Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ…. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:3, 12). Every day, Christians battle against temptations to sin.

Proper training is an essential attribute for athletes to build endurance and skill for superior performance. Likewise, a Christian needs training in the knowledge of God’s way. Jesus was a teacher of His disciples, saying, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).

Another requirement is discipline. The superior athlete is disciplined, practicing hours and hours, while avoiding foods and drinks that don’t support superior health. Likewise, a follower of Christ practices lifelong discipline. Paul said, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Endurance athletes require good nutrition to fuel the mind and body. Likewise, a Christian “feeds” on the wisdom and teachings of Christ (John 6:57). Christ is the food that Christians “eat” through Bible study and prayer, growing in skill to maturity; “everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:13–14).

Endurance is vital for Christians to succeed. The Tomorrow’s World article “Seven Laws of Success” will give you important principles to help achieve these spiritual goals.