Perseverance
Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 2:3-7
We continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
Recovery is a lifelong process. There will be times when we grow tired and weary, times when we want to throw in the towel. We'll experience pain, fear, and a host of other emotions. We'll win some battles but lose others in our war to gain wholeness. We may get discouraged at times when we can't see any progress, even though we've been working hard. But through it all, we must persevere or lose the ground we've gained.
The apostle Paul used three illustrations to teach about perseverance. He wrote to Timothy, "Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things" (2 Timothy 2:3-7).
Like the soldier, we're in a war that we can only win if we fight to the end. Like the athlete, we must train for a new way of life and follow the steps of recovery to the finish line. Like the farmer, we must do our work in every season and then wait patiently until we see the growth. If we stop working our program before reaching our aim, we may lose everything we've fought for, trained ourselves for, and worked hard for.
You cannot win the race for recovery by going just part of the way.
To purchase this devotional please visit New Life Ministries
Taken from The Life Recovery Devotional: Thirty Meditations from Scripture for Each Step in Recovery by Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop. Copyright © 1991 by Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
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