Strength to Endure

Fatigue.  We all deal with it.  We just get tired and worn out.  Our lives are so hectic, and the pace we lead takes its toll.  The Apostle Paul clearly understood this.  As he is praying for the Colossians believers, he asks for God to strengthen them.  He says, ”May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light” (Colossians 1:11-12, HCSB).

Fatigue is just one of the culprits that keep us from enduring.  In small ways, it keeps us from finishing life’s little tasks.  In bigger ways, it robs us of the ability to finish life strong.  Every aspect of our lives is impacted.  Emotionally, we become stressed and overwhelmed.  Physically, we just lack the gumption to get the job done.  Spiritually, we just give up and give in.  And, the more we try to overcome it in own power, the more frustrated and fatigued we get. 

We all need God’s strength to help us to endure.  We need Him to touch us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  As a result, we are able to finish the race set before us with patience and thanksgiving (Hebrews 12:1).  That’s why Paul prayed for his Colossian brothers and sisters.  That’s also a prayer worth our consideration.  Life taking its toll on you?  Quit trying to to it on your own.  Let God empower you to finish well.  May we be strengthened by His grace and power to endure with patience, and finish well with a sense of thanksgiving.  May we not give up, but stand strong in Him and enjoy all that He has promised to those that have placed their faith in Him.