Endeavoring To Endure

How much influence do you believe that your personal attitude has on your life?

We would probably say that our attitudes are housed somewhere in our minds, our intellects. We believe attitude is primarily the outflow of how we are thinking. While I would agree with that line of reasoning, I would add caution that attitudes are not exclusively intellectual issues. Attitude may begin somewhere in the mind but it flows into other components of life. For good or for bad your attitude permeates your emotions, your will, your activities, and even your faith.

Attitude may be something on which to pin the tail, but it is a major part of life. For the Christian there is an expectation that our objective faith would have the mastery over our attitude. In essence, we should be people of a normally positive outlook. Because we have the victorious nature of Christ, the promises of God’s word, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the operative wisdom of a redeemed intellect…we should be characterized by a hopeful prospect in life. I tell you today by way of experience that you will likely need to fight diligently to preserve this type of perspective.

Your life and lifework has been established for God’s glory and there are at least three forces which will counter this:

• a fallen world system which is anti-God;
• your flesh which can never be sanctified and is only suitable to be crucified and an enemy; and,
• Satan, who is characterized as a roaring lion who roams about looking for prey upon which to pounce.

I’m going to leave you some things to consider from the life of Nehemiah who was facing daunting obstacles as he had been commissioned to a great work for God. Though your circumstances and his are very different, there are principles that should be applied. Take some time to learn if maybe you are on the right path and simply encountering some very real opposition from forces which seek to counter your ability to reflect beautifully upon your King.

Is It A Futile Endeavor?- Neh. 4:2

“Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” The reason that you find yourself in a dilemma or a work that exceeds your ability is because God has purposed to do it through you. He must receive the glory. Your obstacles are not imaginary…but neither are they insurmountable.

Is It A Fragile Endeavor? – Neh. 4:3

“Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building— if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” As you begin you will likely experience fear that you will not be able to finish. A lifework can seem very fragile until you gain confidence in the true Builder of your life.

Is It A Faithful Endeavor? – Neh. 4:4-6

“Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” Commit to and engage in prayerful dependence & faithful diligence

Is It A Faltering Endeavor? – Neh. 4:10-11

“In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” Recognize that you will not always feel capable. Acknowledge that, by yourself, you cannot do this, and learn to discern the voice of the enemy who will only speak to you of your eventual failure.

Is It A Fearless Endeavor? – Neh. 5:14

“And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” Refuse fear to dictate your decisions, think purposefully upon God & His truth and then fight back where God has enabled you to do so

It Is A Finished Work Neh. 6:15-16

“So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.” The end of your life-book has already been written. You just haven’t reached the last chapter yet.