"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.” (Rom. 15:5 NIV)
I was a high-baller
When I was in my early 20’s I worked as a drywall installer, also called a sheetrocker. My partner and I were what you would call in those days, high-ballers, because we were very fast at it! In fact, we often completed two houses in one day. Back then we nailed drywall on with a hammer (it's screwed on these days), and I figured out, at 48 nails per sheet, that I hammered in about a million nails every three months! That's a lot of nails! All that lifting and hammering made me very strong in those days.
Eventually I changed jobs and started doing something less strenuous
Many years later, my son John, was installing wallboard on the ceiling of a house he was working on and asked me if I would give him a hand since I knew how to do it. I agreed, and grabbed my old set of tools and jumped right in. I was happy to see that I could still swing a hammer and lift the heavy board! It was like I had never stopped…. well, for a very short time, anyway. I soon ran out of energy, and got tired. Sadly, even though I knew what to do, and was willing to do it, I was no longer in my 20’s and didn't have the strength or endurance I once had. I felt bad about it, but John just smiled, and said, “it's okay Dad!” I knew he was trying to be encouraging to me and I appreciated it. I continued to help him that day, but he did most of the heavy lifting.
Endurance and encouragement
Endurance is defined as the act of working very hard without stopping, even in the face of difficult situations or pain. Encouragement is defined as an expression of support or approval, or is words or actions that assist or inspire someone or something.
In our walk of faith, God gives us both endurance and encouragement, and He expects us to do the same for others
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Heb. 10:24-25 NIV)
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thes. 5:11 NIV)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4 NIV)
Quotes:
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” - Thomas A. Edison
“If you are going through hell, keep going.” - Winston Churchill
