Endurance

Both of the Wimbledon women’s finalists today have shown us the meaning of endurance.

Marion Bartoli tried so many times to win a Grand Slam event. She was beaten over and over again but never gave up. Today she became Wimbledon champion after playing in 47 Grand Slam tournaments. Just think about it - this is her very first Grand Slam win after 47 attempts, and her first tournament title of any sort since 2011. She is 28 years old.

This is what Bartoli said about the difficulties she has faced:

"I've been growing up. I've been having some tough times, but I've always been able to bounce back, practice hard and believe in myself. "I felt like those kind of attitudes should be rewarded at some point and they were this year."

23-year-old German Sabine Lisicki was the other finalist. She was beaten today, but did well even to reach the final after several years of struggle. In 2010 she was on crutches for months after sustaining a serious left ankle injury. Unable to walk and with her promising tennis career in the balance, Lisicki was at a crossroads. But she refused to give in to suggestions that it might be better to leave tennis rather than risk further damage to her body. After five months of rehabilitation, she was finally able to return to action. Even then the journey back to the top had to be taken one step at a time. By the end of 2010 her ranking had slipped from 23 to 179 and in March 2011, she was down at 218.

Lisicki said: "I always believed. Always. No matter what happened. I can still remember when the doctor told me that I have to be on crutches the next six weeks." "That period made me such a much stronger person and player. I know anything is possible after learning how to walk again. "It just gives me the belief to overcome anything."

The New King James version uses the word, “endurance” on 2 occasions:

Heb. 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:


Heb. 12:1-2 [ The Race of Faith ] Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…

The Greek word used in both of these occasions is:

Hypomonē – which means steadfastness, constancy, endurance, patience, waiting, patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance.

In the NT, it refers to the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.

Endurance is the ability to exert oneself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as the ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds or fatigue. It is often used to refer to physical exercise. As Believers, we speak of endurance of the spirit – the ability to continue with true Christian commitment through tough situations, hardships, stress, etc.

The Bible refers to the Christian life as a race. In the Greek, the word for “race” is agôna – this is where we get the word "agony." At times the Christian life is an agony. It is full of stress. The Christian life is a spiritual race that calls for physical and spiritual fitness, because The Christian race isn’t a sprint. It isn’t a brief meet to which you show up on Saturday afternoon. It is a marathon and it lasts your whole life.

All Believers must learn how to endure as they grow in God’s grace. Without endurance, the Christian can possess spiritual insight, but cannot last long enough to see the fruits of it flourish in life.

Here are seven characteristics of endurance:

• Endurance comes through grace as a result of our redemption – we endure because Christ endured and His life dwells in us; we endure because he has promised to be with us through everything (Heb. 13:5 He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you;

Matt. 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.)

• Endurance comes from keeping our eyes on Jesus – He is not only the author of our faith, but the finisher. We keep our eyes on the One who finished well and brought redemption to all mankind. (Heb. 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.)

• Endurance is dependent upon the strength of Christ – we keep our eyes on Him and He gives us strength to do everything that comes our way (Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.)

• Endurance requires faith – with faith we are able to overcome everything the world offers and throws at us. (1Jn. 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.)

• Endurance comes through tribulations correctly weathered – tribulations produce perseverance (the same Gk. word: Hypomonē is used for “perseverance”) perseverance strengthens our character, character releases hope.  (Rom. 5:3-4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.)

• Endurance comes from prayer – Paul prayed for the Believers in Colosse that they would be filled with patience and endurance – notice the result of endurance in this verse: joy.

(Col. 1:11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, NLT)

Don't pray for life to be easy - pray for yourself to be strong!

• Endurance comes from turning away from sin and running after God’s ways – Paul is calling Timothy away from greed and other temptations and to pursue 6 things. The word “pursue” is a very strong word in Greek. It means to run after with the aim of taking hold of the goal. We need to put all our strength into running after these 6 things and then we use righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness to fight the fight of faith and overcome the enemy of our soul. The final prize is eternal life.

(1Tim. 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. NIV)

We can also see this great principle as the writer to the Hebrews tells us to lay aside every weight and sin so that we can run with endurance (Heb. 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.)

Heb. 10:36

For you have need of endurance,

so that after you have done the will of God,

you may receive the promise:


Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing,

but to turn it into glory.

Phillip Yancey