Energizing and Equipping Local Churches
in Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World
The Wilderness Way #21
By Bishop Mike Lowry ©
In my Wilderness Way article #19, I noted five key elements to faith-walking in the wilderness which we find ourselves in: 1) deep covenant commitment; 2) heightened worship and spiritual connectedness to God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; 3) unflinching perseverance; 4) real courage; and 5) tough trust in divine leading. The word perseverance “comes from the prefix per meaning through, coupled with the word severe. It means to keep pressing on, trusting God, looking up, doing our duty – even through severe circumstances.”[1]
Our Lord Jesus Christ lived a life of perseverance on his way to the cross and beyond. His wilderness journey was the journey of perseverance and faithfulness, done for our sake.
There can be little dispute that perseverance is a great trait of Christian character. The Bible says, “Endurance [perseverance] produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”[2] On the one hand perseverance seems obvious. We all need it. It is hard. We are all tempted to resign in despair. Yet for people of faith Jesus himself offers the template for true perseverance; perseverance beyond just a grit-and-bear-it philosophy.
On his way to Jerusalem in the 10th chapter of Mark’s gospel, he along with his followers can see the cross looming before him. Instead of running or living in denial, Jesus faced reality. “He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him.”[3]
Jim Collins in his modern writing calls this the “Stockdale Principle.” Admiral Stockdale was the highest-ranking officer held as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. He endured incredible hardships, torture, and depravation. Through it all he persevered. Jim Collins interviewed Admiral Stockdale on his horrendous wilderness experience. He records them walking together, “Stockdale limping and arc-swinging his stiff leg that had never fully recovered from repeated torture. Finally, after about a hundred meters of silence, I asked, ‘Who didn’t make it out?’
“‘Oh, that’s easy,’ he said. ‘The optimists.’
“‘The optimists? I don’t understand,’ I said, now completely confused, given what he’d said a hundred meters earlier.
“‘The optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.’
“Another long pause, and more walking. Then he turned to me and said, ‘This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”[4]
Second, notice how Jesus held them together in community. He called the twelve together. He shared with them. He walked with them. The hardships of our personal wilderness are not meant to be faced alone! Two things are meant to happen- Jesus repeatedly models them both:
(1) Support one another
(2) Seek and Give Encouragement
We have a false and even destructive sense of the proud, silent type enduring trials. This is wrong. It is biblically false. Jesus discussed it with the guys. Admiral Stockdale lived in a supportive community in “Hanoi Hilton” the prisoner-of-war camp. To preserve, hold to community!
Third, resiliency, the capacity to persevere, is crucial. There are three main components. Resilient people, those who practice perseverance:
(1)Exercise Control Rather Than Remain Passive.
(2) Remain committed to Godly values.
(3) Find (or hold) to meaning and purpose.
Two marvelous books leap off my shelf about this subject. Viktor Frankl’s classic Man’s Search for Meaning about surviving the Holocaust is a must read. John Ortberg’s fourth chapter in If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat is tremendous. He writes: “Faith believes that with God, we are never helpless victims.”[5] Jesus was never a victim of the plotting Pilate, the conniving authorities, or the betraying Judas. As you the story of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion he exercised whatever control he could. He was never a victim. He modeled perseverance for us.
Last, and perhaps most importantly, never lose faith in God’s ultimate triumph. Perseverance lives in an Easter faith. Because of Christ, regardless of the situation, no matter how tough or traumatic the experience, we never need lose faith in God’s ultimate triumph. “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness [the perseverance] of Christ.”[6]
[1] From a sermon by Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, p. 610
[2] Romans 5:4-5
[3] Mark 10:33-34
[4] Jim Collins, Good to Great, p.85
[5] John Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of The Boat, p. 102
[6] II Thessalonians 3:5