Grind

“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” - Hebrews 10:35-36

“We have the need for endurance.”  This phrase makes living for Christ seem like a bit of a grind.  OK, let’s be honest it is.  At times, anyway.  If we are truly living for Christ, if we are living for and truly working for Christ, it will be easy –said no one ever.

C.S. Lewis described what Christ calls for out of his people this way:  “Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.” (Mere Christianity)  

The paragraph exhausts me. So there is a real need for endurance.  We have to be able to tolerate the grind; for as the writer of Hebrews notes, “you may receive what is promised.”

We will receive what is promised. Be confident in that, do not throw that confidence away. Because there will be a great reward.

Work. Give ourselves to God.  Endure.  Christ will get us all through the grind.