‘And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.’ Hebrews 11:6(NLT)
‘God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ‘ Ephesians 2:8(NLT)
‘I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.’ Philippians 3:14(NLT)
Imagine trying to run a marathon or participate in any other competition expecting to win without having trained. It won’t work! Similarly, spiritual stamina without faith won’t work. Spiritual strength requires the continuous training of our spiritual muscle, faith.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). When we keep our eyes focused on God, the author and perfecter of faith, our faith muscle grows. By faith, we learn to rely on God and not on ourselves. He is so much greater than we are. He is so much larger than the Coronavirus. Are you responding to COVID-19 by faith or by fear?
By faith, He carries us when our burdens are heavy as we experience illness and loss due to the COVID-19. By faith, He provides when we’ve lost our job. By faith, He sustains us when we are weak, giving us His strength and the spiritual stamina necessary to overcome anything.
When we keep our eyes focused on God, we win. We win the prize. The prize in the Christian race is everlasting life with Jesus Christ. It’s not perishable, but imperishable. It’s not temporary but eternal. It is a gift from God, given by grace, through faith. When we run towards God, we strengthen our faith muscle and increase our spiritual stamina. He’s waiting for you now with open arms!
from Spiritual Stamina in the Time of Coronavirus