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Topic: Endurance (03/22/04)
TITLE: The Importance Of Endurance By William McNeese 03/24/04 |
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Physical Education also known as P.E.
Why was it my favorite? No Bookwork,no
memorization, it was outside,not in some drab classroom.One of the requirements of this class was to run the track.While I was a good runner, I found out right quick I did not have the physical stamina or endurance that others on the track did; but that was o.k. We all have our strengths in certain areas as well as our weaknesses.
One of the most important things I remember my Dad telling me as a kid is, son, if you fail at anything, if you ever stumble and fall, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, hold your head up high and go on with your life.Whats the hidden messager in that? don't let your failures defeat you.Just because you stumble doesn't mean life is over, the finish line is just ahead.You can, you should finish.You Can Endure.Inm 1rst Corinthians chapter 9 Verse 24 the apostle Paul likens life to a race, he says we should run with the goal of winning the race.Yet we know that only one person in a race can receive 1rst prize, so if we don't finish first does that mean we are defeated? No!Were only defeated if we fail to finish, because we just get discouraged and give up.As long as you keep trying, as long as you endure, You cross the finish line,You have not failed.
We live in a troublesome world.There are wars on every hand,Crime is rampant, drug abuse is one of the # 1 problems plaqueing our society today.
Pornography, Child abuse, terminal diseases for which were fighhting daily to find a cure.So were fighting a lot of battles on every hand.It's very important that we endure, that we not lose a one.It's easy in the light of these things to get discouraged and want to give up.The word of God encourages us to endure.To keep on keeping on.Psalm 30:5is a good example where the Psalmist said-" For his anger
endureth buit a moment, in his favour is life;weeping may endure for the night,but joy cometh in the morning."
All of us have trials and tribulations.There are times when we get tired and weary and find ourselves on the brink of giving up.That's natural,that's normal. Jeremiah, was one of my favorite prophets in the Old Testament, because he was known as the "weeping prophet" He had a great heart of compassion.Yet in Jeremiah Chapter 20 verse 9- we find him ready to give up, to quit; but did he? No.
Look at what he said-" Then I said, I will not make mention of him nor speak anymore in his name.But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." In otherwords, as much as I would like to quit, I can't. I must endure, must go on.We likewise must endure, to give up means were finished without ever reaching the finish line.What keeps me going during times like this? Several things: I look around me and realize, I don't have it near as bad as I might often think, others have it a lot worse than I have.For years we have fought the battle of overcrowded prisons, but for the grace of God, we could be in prison ourselves, mayby even sitting on death row.Our hospitals are full, many people everyday on the brink of death, fighting for their life, yet, I enjoy good health.I walk into a childrens hospital, see children of all ages who are crippled and many fighting life threatening diseases.How can I not endure when I have so much going for me?
Then I see children are abused, neglected,abandoned, then I realize how blessed I am. Then I see the suffering of my Saviour, the stripes he bore, the pain he suffered, I see him hanging on the cross, he who was pure and knew know sin, took the wieght of the sins of the world upon himself.I see him bruised,battered and broken.Placed in a borrowered tomb.He did it all for us.He went down into death, down into the grave and into hell itself, but came forth the third day victorious.His victory is our victory.There is no place to sit down and quit, no place to give up.EWndure, yes, endure.We must without question.