Lately I find myself ending a lot of conversations with friends with those words.  And every time I tell someone to “hang in there,” I feel like I’ve given them virtually nothing of substance.  Seems like I use a simple cliché because I can’t come up with anything better.

And yet…there’s something about those three little words that does seem to resonate with us.  Granted, it’s a bit secular and makes it sounds as if any “hanging in there” is because of our own strength.  Oh sure, I could quote James 1:12 to them as I’m wrapping up our conversation.

“So Susie, I need to let you get back to work, but remember this: ‘Blessed is the (wo)man who remains steadfast under trial, for when (s)he has stood the test (s)he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.’”

Maybe that would be appropriate  from time to time, but I can’t say I’ve ever ended a conversation of encouragement that way. 

But this post is less about the appropriateness of that phrase and more about the whole idea of perseverance during the trials of this life. I’ve heard the words, “I can’t do this one more day” come out of the mouths of so many people I know – and a time or three out of my own mouth.

And yet, ultimately, I expect we all went to bed and got up the next day to face whatever trial we were struggling with. 

News flash – this life is chock full of struggles!  I write and talk about this a lot. Ultimately, it’s because this is a fallen, sinful world and we are paying the consequences of that day in and day out. 

But rather than sitting around, wringing our hands, and waiting for the next disaster, I want to encourage us to see the benefits of true perseverance.  The kind that isn’t from our own strength, but that which comes with the full power of Almighty God.

When we want to jump into bed and throw the covers over our head for a few months – or years. When we fully acknowledge that we don’t have the strength to make it to the next day.  When we humbly and helplessly come to God with virtually nothing of our own to contribute to the cause.  THAT’S when our hearts are open to the kind of power we desperately need in today’s world.

What I’ve learned through my own years of persevering is that so many scripture texts have now come alive.  I am now living the reality that I may have just skimmed over in the past.  Here are some that have been priceless to me:

• “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” – 2 Corinthians 12:9.  When you’ve come to the end of yourself and yet you get a divine energy infusion, you now know what it means when God said this to the Apostle Paul. You’ve been emptied of every ounce of your own strength and can feel God miraculously carrying you through to the next day.  It’s a lesson that can be applied over and over again throughout our lifetimes.
• “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” – 2 Timothy 4:7.  I know this is most often quoted in regard to someone at the end of their earthly life, but I think it has application for us in the every day.  If your trial has a clear ending, then you likely can relate to this feeling of making it to whatever finish line you were headed towards.  Maybe it was the cancer-free finish. Or perhaps, the return of a wayward child. Even for me, I can claim this victory as I reach another anniversary of being without Dale.  Oh sure, this main race of mine won’t be over until my life ends, but there are checkpoints along the way that help me keep going, and keep fighting the good fight, and keeping the faith.
• “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” – Romans 5:3-4.  Well, we might not go so far as to say we are rejoicing, but it is an appropriate response when you see that whole cause and effect process.  Haven’t you felt at least part of this process as you’ve suffered through a trial?  The endurance happens through God’s strength which often results in deeper character – even though it’s not exactly what we want!  But making it through the trial can and does give us hope.  We can’t deny the truth of this text if we allow God to do the work in us.
• “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” – Philippians 1:6.  Sometimes I feel like, as I get older, I’m just accumulating losses in my life.  Isn’t that a morbid thought!?  And yet there is some truth to it. But the blessing side of that equation is what this scripture text tells us.  God is working in our lives, sanctifying us, with every difficulty we face.  And God will bring it to a glorious ending when he either takes us home, or Jesus returns. Knowing that any suffering is not in vain is an incredible comfort when we are in the midst of it.  I pray you’ve experiences that hope.

This is just a small portion of the scriptures that have become precious and real to me while walking with God through my trials.  Feel free to share any scriptures that have spoken volumes to you through your trials. If you haven’t experienced that joy, I encourage you to spend some time reading and meditating on scriptures that speak about all that God wants to do in our lives as we navigate the pitfalls of this crazy world. 

So, if I ever tell any of you to just “hang in there,” please know that I’m thinking about these scriptures and praying they can become your reality, too.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14