The Need for Endurance
Every child quickly realizes the need to develop patience. We must wait for dessert, Christmas, parties, gifts, and many things that we want. The need for patience rarely leaves people as they grow up. Adults numb frustrations with waiting by scrolling social media, stare at the clock every few seconds before heading home, and count down the days to the next big ______. As Christians consider the Christian life, God cultivates patience and endurance through trials defined by waiting. Abraham waited for the promises of God. Isaac and Rebecca waited 20 years for a child. God’s people waited under Egyptian oppression for a deliverer. God’s people waited for a seed of the woman to crush the serpent. Christians today wait for Christ’s return, opportunities in life, and exercise patience as a fruit of the Spirit. Patience is vital for the Christian life. How can Christians cultivate patience?
In this week’s episode of the Biblical Counseling Podcast, Pastor Jeff Christianson and Jennie Christianson explore the need for endurance. Christians must cultivate both endurance for challenging seasons in the Christian life and patience with others and ourselves. We often want immediate solutions. We want what we want, when we want it. But God grows our dependence upon him through teaching us to submit our desires to his timing and his will. We must grant God room to enact his purposes according to his wisdom. Paul says in Philippians 1:6 that God will complete his good works in every believer. This comment infers a hard reality--that God often places many years in between the beginning and end of his works--including a Christian’s sanctification! Even the biblical imagery of a seed reaching full maturity communicates a long period of time for God’s people to reach their full stature. As we counsel and disciple among the body of Christ, we must let patience have its perfect work in others (Jas 1:4 NKJV).
While waiting on God to supply growth, we can accelerate spiritual growth through implementing personal spiritual disciplines. When you find yourself in a conflict situation requiring patience, take yourself back to the gospel and the basics of the Christian life. Remember your communion with God, the power of the resurrection, and the presence of God’s Spirit. Return to the disciplines of prayer, Bible reading, worship, communion, and fellowship to cultivate patience. As you return to fundamental principles, you will find solutions to your conflict and motivation toward a patient endurance. Counselors also cultivate patience with their counselees by assigning homework. In homework assignments of prayer and Scripture intake, counselees have sessions with the True Counselor, the Wonderful Counselor. Counselors put off old habits and put on good habits through completing the homework during the week. Christian, lean into God’s gifts to cultivate patience and endurance for the Christian life.
Want to learn more? Listen to this podcast to hear Pastor Jeff and Jennie address:
- How to accelerate spiritual growth
- The nature of patience and the need for endurance
- The role of homework in biblical counseling
What You'll Discover in this Episode:
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Paul knew his role was that of a “planter,” which is the Greek word phuteuo and means to plant. Paul’s statement was a clear reference to his founding of the Corinthian church. He was anointed to forge into new territory and challenge the powers of darkness in order to plant. Paul was endowed with the anointing to push open doors and find opportunities — and to plant seeds for the Gospel that would grow into churches.
Apollos, on the other hand, was anointed differently for ministry. He was specially called to come behind Paul and to “water” and “nourish” what Paul had planted. The word “watered” is the Greek word potidzo, which means to give drink, to water, or even to imbibe. It portrays one who nourishes what has been planted, thus providing the sustenance it needs to grow.
Of course, we know that God ultimately gave the increase, bringing forth what Paul planted and Apollos watered — and causing growth to come in the Corinthian church.
As I look at First Corinthians 3:6, I see these three elements in the Channel One miracle: First, I was the planter who was anointed by God to sign the contract. That was an essential first step. Second, our blessed partner, a widow, was called and anointed to “water” the seed I’d planted (the signing of the contract) with her finances. She was assigned a very important portion of the process, and she willingly did her part.
Third — and most important — was God, the Partner who was ultimately responsible for all of it. Paul said, “…But God gave the increase.”
The word “increase” in First Corinthians 3:6 is a form of the Greek word auxano, which simply means to increase or to grow. The form of this word used in this instance indicates the continuous blessing of God upon the work of Paul and Apollos, with God as their chief Partner in the process.
One theologian has said, in effect, “We can till the ground, plant the seeds, pull the weeds, and lavishly water what has been planted, but only God can provide the blessing, sunshine, and environment to make it all grow.”
It simply takes every one of us doing his or her different job — with God’s blessing on it — for doors to open and harvests to be reaped. Divine connections are essential for completing a divine assignment. And respect for every person for the role he or she plays — including God and His role — is so important. Most of us realize that even if we all did our respective parts to make supernatural things come to pass, nothing of value would ever grow if God didn’t provide His continuous blessing. So all the glory goes to God for what is produced in our lives when we need endurance.