“We know that affliction produces endurance...” (Romans 5:3 CSB)
Long distance running has taught me to be mindful of what I yield to. Giving in to sore muscles, tiredness, boredom, and negative thoughts gets you nowhere. Athletes learn that a certain amount of pain is inevitable during training. Your desire to finish the race must outweigh your intolerance for discomfort. You yield to the goal, not the pain.
Giving power to the wrong thing can sabotage progress in all areas of life. For example, capitulating to self-pity, weakness, despondency, or fear keeps us from moving forward. Permissiveness leads to negligence and disorder. Endurance, on the other hand, gives purpose to affliction. Fortitude accepts pain as part of the growth process. Perseverance knows that strength and discipline are essential to resilience. When we trust God, we give in to His power. The awareness of a higher purpose eclipses suffering. When we yield to God, instead of to our natural inclination to avoid pain and humiliation, we reveal His glory.
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