Enduring Christianity

Although love is vital to our walk with Christ, and love is good, loving is not easy.   Instead of loving, we often choose ourselves. This is why Jesus gave us his one command: "Love ." Now surely, you and I are able to love here and there, but is a here and there a representation of a command, to love? In this episode we will discuss what we believe to be the most common reason we choose not to love, which is the same reason we choose to avoid most things in life: frustration. To justify the urge of our selfish  frustration is the moment we most often deny the command to love. Instead  of patience, we justify impatience. While frustrations are an everyday undesired experience, frustrations are also our most common opportunity to die to self.  They are a moment to lean into and grow into a deeper relationship with our perfect Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Listen in on our very first "Modern Day Bible Story", hitting hearts at the ultimate enduring level, the loss of a child. In this real story, Wes delivers a humble and powerful understanding of an enduring faith in God's love, through the hope that he will once again be united with his son Drew with Christ in Heaven.  I pray that listening to his story will put our priorities into perspective, knowing that the easy life on this earth isn't what God promised, but He did promise to be near us and love us no matter what trials come. Deuteronomy 31:8 "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Isaiah 48:10 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;  I have tried  you in the furnace of affliction." Often we can limit our understanding of God's love to only the things we consider to be good.  But what if the things God considers to be good are the moments of which we consider to be our greatest struggle.  Listen in as we discuss the relation of love and frustration and how enduring our hardships are the opportunities of growing in the likeness of Christ.  James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

What do you want more of in your life, love or frustration? The easy, obvious and also correct answer, is love. But have you ever stopped to take pause and notice how often frustrations in life present themselves to you?  All throughout our day, frustrations continually show up without invitation or warning. While frustrations are normal to experience, it's vital to ask ourself, at what point do frustrations evolve into the absence of love?  This episode teaches a brief insight that God has taught me over the last few years, if frustration rules then love is absent; but if love rules, frustration is silenced. 

 Get to know who we are and what we are about in this short overview of Enduring Christianity.