by David Gibson<\/p>\n
Does the Christian life at times seem more than you can bear? May these thoughts from Hebrews chapter 12 encourage you!<\/p>\n
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses<\/em> [the heroes of faith in chapter 11], let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us<\/em> . . .” (Hebrews 12:1).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
They endured. So can we.<\/p>\n
Jesus Showed Us How to Endure<\/h2>\n
“Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted<\/em>” (Hebrews 12:3).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Jesus suffered far more than we ever have or ever will. He endured. So can we.<\/p>\n
Suffering Can Make Us Strong!<\/h2>\n
Our Father “disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness<\/em>” (Hebrews 12:10).<\/p>\n
Suffering can have a refining effect on us-if we let it (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4; I Peter 1:6-7). So, how are we to deal with affliction? Let’s expect it, accept it, and not reject it. We need it more than we realize. Someday we’ll look back and see how much we’ve grown!<\/p>\n
Just Think What We Have to Look Forward To!<\/h2>\n
“… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus… who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God<\/em>” (Hebrews 12:1-2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\nJesus endured because He knew something wonderful lay ahead. Focusing on the joy set before us helps make the painful present bearable.
\nTrials are temporary; joy is forever!\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by David Gibson Does the Christian life at times seem more than you can bear? May these thoughts from Hebrews chapter 12 encourage you! Others Have Overcome “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [the heroes of faith in chapter 11], let us also lay aside every weight, and sin…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[188],"class_list":["post-88642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-trials"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44453,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/unashamed-of-the-shame\/","url_meta":{"origin":88642,"position":0},"title":"Unashamed of the Shame","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer \"Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name\" (I Peter 4:15-16). There are many reasons why people suffer, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":92655,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-should-it-be-convenient\/","url_meta":{"origin":88642,"position":1},"title":"Why Should It Be Convenient?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jimmy Clark \"And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee\" (Acts 24:25). Paul spoke to Felix about \"the faith in Christ\" (Acts 24:24). That faith\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":87299,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-perseverance-is-so-important\/","url_meta":{"origin":88642,"position":2},"title":"Why Perseverance Is so Important","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"While searching for inspirational YouTube videos, I was impressed by how many of them encourage viewers to persevere despite major obstacles, failures, and disappointments. Perseverance means persistence, steadfastness, endurance, holding on, standing firm, tenacity, stick-to-it-iveness, keeping on keeping on, stamina, grit, hoeing your row to the end, staying the course,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58557,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/patience-the-art-of-persevering-in-this-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":88642,"position":3},"title":"Patience: The Art of Persevering in this Life","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 28, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Forrest D. Moyer As Peter continued to list the characteristics that one must add, he named \"patience\" as being essential in our lives to keep us from falling and to insure us a part in the \"everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior\" (II Peter 1:5-11). James wrote: \"Indeed,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":89341,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-power-of-perseverance\/","url_meta":{"origin":88642,"position":4},"title":"The Power of Perseverance","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by David Gibson Bois d'Arc endures. That's why the early settlers in this part of Texas found this practically rot-proof wood so useful for fence posts and foundation blocks. Hang in there! God loves people who stay the course day after day, year after year, no matter what. Marriages and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":94042,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/our-rest\/","url_meta":{"origin":88642,"position":5},"title":"Our Rest","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Hugh DeLong Rest? Interesting that God has given the concept of rest in so many different ways. He rested from His labor of creating. He gave Israel the seventh-day rest, then the seventh-year rest, then even the fiftieth-year rest. Joshua brought them into the land (Joshua 1:13; 21:44). Yet,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88642"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88642\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}