Pastor's Column 9/8/2024

PASTOR’S COLUMN

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character hope."

Romans 5:3-4, NKJV                                                                                                                                                    

“The Power To Persist In Difficulty!” 

The incessant pounding of pressure on us in this era of rapid change is real. We are not living a mirage. Our days are shorter. The climate is much warmer. Nature is unsettled. As the Scripture has forewarned, “The entire creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth up to the present time.” (Romans 8:22, NLT).  The human mistreatment of the earth God has entrusted to us, has exacted a heavy toll. When a group of space explorers soared above the earth’s atmosphere and saw the damage done to the planet’s outer crust, at least one in the group wept. Yet, these outer blemishes exacted by our human behavior on our physical environment is pale in comparison to the brokenness we find in human nature. The sin that breeds divisiveness, hatred, and separation takes another enormous toll on many. The early Christians were not, nor are we, immune from the difficulties we face living in a world of imperfect leaders, governments, and people. Yet, we are assured, as were the early Christians, that we can “persevere” through our difficulties, and find hope in this world. To persevere is, as the Greek word (hupomeno) means, “to stand under difficulty.” Also, “to resist [ when under pressure].” In a recent interview, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS), Ketanji Brown Jackson said when she was a student at Harvard University, she was often overlooked and subject to racial bias. One day as she walked alone near the Cambridge campus, a Black woman came up to her. The woman looked at Ketanji and simply said, “persevere.” The woman walked away, but that word stuck with her and propelled her forward. The Scripture instructs us that it is the perseverance of our faith that builds character. We need only believe in the promise of this truth; for the confidence it gives us will take us far beyond our expectations. God always has a remedy for the difficulties we face in this life!