Finishing Strong: A Persevering Faith

Whether you are running a race, coming to the final minutes of a sports game, completing an essay for class or nearing the end of the semester, it is easy to want to give up or cut corners, isn’t it? Physical, mental and emotional fatigue causes us to desire a break, to give in to our body and rest. But you are so close, the end is near, even if you can’t see it yet.

It’s in the moments where we desire to cut corners or give up that we make the biggest mistakes. Sometimes the mistakes don’t matter too much, other times it may cost us the game or the grade, and yet other times it can be even more severe than we realize. Particularly when it comes to spiritual matters.

Fighting off temptation to sin is a lot like fighting the desire to give up in a race.

My first year running, I set a goal to run a half marathon. Seriously, a couch potato to half marathon goal is attainable for anyone, given the right amount of time and proper training methods. That first year was great, I went from hating running to craving running. And I trained and ran well.

Yet my second year was different. I had “been there done that” and began to be overconfident in my achievement. I didn’t train as hard. I began to cut corners. I put on a few pounds and ate the wrong type of foods. Before I realized it, I injured my knee and had to take time off. I lost the joy of running and it became a chore.

The problem was I over estimated myself and lost a clear focus of my goal. I tried to cut corners and in the end it hurt me. In this scenario, the cost was not that great, but I continue to live with the effects of my decision. However, we face many other realities on daily basis that have far greater a cost, and yet we follow a similar pattern.

Darkest Day

Consider the example we have in the life of Peter (Mark 14:27-50, 66-72). Here we have the story of Jesus’ best friend and closest companion. On this side of history, we know him as the Apostle Peter who preached the sermon at Pentecost, walked out of a prison, wrote books of the Bible and was crucified upside down for his commitment to Christ.

Peter’s story is a story of finishing strong and a persevering faith. Yet he wasn’t always so faithful.

Jesus told all the disciples that persecution was coming and all the disciples would run away and abandon Him. Peter did not like this one bit, so he said, “though all abandon you, I will stick by your side even till death!”

When we talk about hard times, we want our friends to have our back. Peter is just saying, “Jesus, I got your back!” It seems like a good thing to say, but Jesus is the Lord and He knows what’s about to happen. And Peter has the audacity to correct Jesus.

Jesus told Peter that before the rooster crows, Peter will deny him three times. Peter affirms his commitment to Jesus and says he will never deny Christ, not even if it costs him his life.

Have you ever felt super confident in yourself? You felt sure you could handle something no matter what? Only to find that you failed? That’s where Peter is at in our story. He is self-confident and self-reliant.

Jesus asks his friends to stay up and pray with them, but all of them, including Peter, falls asleep. How is this guy who can’t even stay awake in a prayer meeting, going to stand firm till the end?

When the mob came to arrest Jesus, Peter took his sword and cut off the servant’s ear. Despite spending three years with Jesus and seeing how Jesus handled difficult situations peacefully, Peter attacks a man. Jesus heals the servant’s ear and rebukes Peter.

As the guards arrest and escort Jesus, Peter begins to follow at a distant. Peter continues to drift farther and farther from Jesus. As he finds himself outside, in the court yard as Jesus is being questioned, Peter experience his own trial.

“You are a Galilean with Jesus!” “No I am not!” “You are one of His disciples!” “No I’m not!” “You are with Jesus of Nazareth!” “I swear I am not!”

Then he hears it! The rooster crows and reality sets in. He has just denied his best friend, his Savior and His lord. Tears begin to flow at the realization of his failure in his darkest moments.

Reality Hits Home

Have you ever had that moment where you gave into sin, only to realize your failure right away? You’ve just blown up at your parents for not getting your way and then the Bible verse “honor your mother and father” pops in your head. Guilt floods over you.

You just finished looking at something you shouldn’t be looking at, and as you turn, your Bible is opened on your desk. Immediately you are ashamed of your actions.

You just gossiped about a friend of yours, humiliating them, and she sends you an encouraging text. Instantly you knew you were wrong.

So often we get carried away, thinking we are doing good, and we cut corners, only to fall. And immediately, the truth comes to us and we realize how stupid we were.

It’s in these moments that we think we are worthless, and we want to give up. How could God use a failure like me?

Empowered by God

It’s easy to want to give up and think less of ourselves. But what does God think? He loves us beyond our understanding. That is what the cross was all about (Romans 5:8). Let’s go back to Peter’s story (John 21:15-17).

When Jesus rose again, He met up with Peter, the one who denied Him. “Peter do you love me?” He asked. “Yes Lord I love you!” “Feed my sheep!”

“Peter do you love me?” He asked. “Yes Lord I love you!” “Feed my sheep!”

“Peter do you love me?” He asked. “Yes Lord, you know everything, you know I love you!” “Feed my sheep!”

Wow! The threefold reinstatement of Peter is a powerful reminder that no matter how dark our days have been, there is forgiveness in Christ. Not only does He forgive Peter, but He wants to use Peter to encourage others to follow Jesus!

The answer to overcoming is loving Jesus. Do you love Jesus more than your sin? Do you love Jesus more than your failure? When we love Jesus, all is forgiven and we are empowered.

In reading Peter’s own words (1 & 2 Peter) you can almost feel the urgency and the dedication he has to Jesus. He experienced a deep and dark fall, but had been raised to new life. Let’s learn from Peter’s example to not allow our failures to keep us from being used by Christ.

Establishing a Pattern

We will fail and fall. It will happen. Proverbs says a righteous person falls 7 times but gets up again. We are human and battle our sinful nature. Yet, we must establish a pattern to prevent failure. Peter gives us a pattern for growth (2 Peter 1:5-8). He then assures us that if we follow this pattern in an increasing way we will never fall (2 Peter 1:10)! That’s awesome.

The pattern we avoid is self-reliance, self-confidence and self-righteousness. Instead we rely on the Spirit, we boast in Christ, and we cloth ourselves in the righteousness of Jesus.

Now as we near the end of school and you are tempted to cut corners, remember to finish strong. Persevere until the end. When it comes to temptations to sin, keep on keeping on. Trust Christ to be your strength.

But if and when you fall, learn from Peter’s example. Don’t allow your failure to keep you down, but learn to love Jesus more than your sin.