What do you do when you become weary and feel you are about to faint or give up? Ask that question to people and you will get a variety of answers, but what does the Bible say?
Hebrews 12:3 (ESV) — 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
The context of the verse above gives us an even greater emphasis to keep on going forward in faith.
Hebrews 12:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
We are told to consider those who lived a life of faith before us and consider how they endured. It’s important to study the people and the events of Scripture as well as history to understand that as bad as we think we have it in a given circumstance today, people before endured every bit as much turmoil if not more. How? By their faith and their looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we look at Him and see how He endured the cross on our behalf and He did that by focusing on the joy that was set before Him. The joy of pleasing the Father and the joy of having purchased His bride, which was the will of the Father.
Don’t give up! The Lord Jesus Christ taught us as He taught His disciples to pray and not give up even when the answer is not experienced or does not seem to be in keeping with what you desire.
Luke 18:1–8 (ESV) — 1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
When we are tempted to give up as we grow tired or discouraged, God reminds us that we shall reap in due season if we do not give up or faint.
Galatians 6:9 (ESV) — 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
2 Thessalonians 3:13 (ESV) — 13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
The apostle Paul who delivered the words above to not grow weary but keep pressing on lived it out in his ministry in Corinth and in his words of exhortation to the church at Ephesus. We don’t lose heart, even when we are hurting in body so don’t you lose heart when you hear what is happening to us. Just consider what he said.
2 Corinthians 4:1 (ESV) — 1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.
2 Corinthians 4:16 (ESV) — 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
Ephesians 3:13 (ESV) — 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
Don’t give up, lose heart, or faint – that is the watchword to every Christian. We press on no matter what by the grace of God, through the working power of the Holy Spirit, encouraged by the word of God – through promises as well as example.
Hebrews 13:5–6 (ESV) — 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Romans 15:4 (ESV) — 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
We are even commended to not faint when we are corrected by God when we get off the mark because even His chastisement or correction is an evidence of His love and faithfulness to see us through to the end of our journey.
Hebrews 12:5–6 (ESV) — 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Don’t give up! Wait on the Lord. He is the source of strength for the times you get weary. The call to press on and not faint is really the call to rely upon Him.
Isaiah 40:28–31 (ESV) — 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Clearwater, FL
