The practice of perseverance has long fascinated me.

Despite my penchant for perseverance,  I don’t think I’ve ever fully appreciated how it relates to other aspects of the Christian faith. In reading I Corinthians 13:13, Paul writes that it is faith, hope and love that endures, not my stubborn determination.  My perseverance shouldn’t be prompted by trust in myself, but instead, by the faith, hope and love that comes from God.

Growing up, I was used to hearing I Corinthians 13:13 in the New International Version which states that faith, hope and love remain. The challenge is that it is easy to think of “what remains” as what is leftover – as what we’re stuck with after everything else is gone. However, the word used here is  really the same word that is used describe a Christian’s relationship with Christ. That word is “abide.”  In John 15:4, Jesus teaches His disciples, “Abide in me and I in you.”  In other words, if you are His child, you need to remain steadfast in Him, as He remains steadfast in you, in order that you might endure to the end. It means staying with Him, which doesn’t mean standing still. It means going where He leads; walking the path that He’s on; holding close to Him;  following in His steps.

In a similar way, faith, hope and love are not passive. They are not leftovers;  they are what lasts. And if I want to endure, they should characterize my life as well.

• Remembering the Prince of Preachers – When my dad died at 57 years old, a good friend shared that Charles Spurgeon had died at the same age. I think my dad would have liked knowing that. In commemoration of the 120 years since Spurgeon’s passing, Tim Challies has a Spurgeon round-up of sorts (and a cool giveaway you can enter.)

• Leaving the Ninety-Nine – Margaret Manning reflects on what we can learn about God’s character that He leaves the 99 to go after the one, something that has been on my heart a lot in recent months.

• On Truth and Trees – Ravi Zacharias states that “while specific beliefs may offend, it is possible to present them without being personally offensive.

• Repentance Doesn’t Hem and Haw – Jared Wilson looks at what Paul wrote to Timothy and what it teaches us about repentance.

The challenge with sharing our testimony is that if we are not careful it can sound like “we” are expending a lot of the effort. For example, coming to repentance – a recognition that we have enacted wrong against a holy God, seeking forgiveness for that sin, and turning from it – is often talked about in terms of what “we” did. We realized that we had sinned. We acknowledged our need for a Savior. We sought His forgiveness.

And while I realize the ease of talking in such parlance, Scripture indicates that God is the One directing that experience. Romans 2:4 says that God’s kindness leads to repentance; 2 Corinthians 7:10 indicates that godly grief can accomplish the same thing. In either case – God is the proponent. It is His character that prompts us to seek Him and to recognize that we have committed wrong against Him. Not only is He the One extending forgiveness, He is leading us towards it.

It’s easy to think that our testimony is primarily about us – after all we think it’s “our” story. But in reality – our testimony should be primarily about God – Who He is and the work that He has accomplished. There is nothing better that we can attest to; there is no better story to share.

• I Still Believe – Jeremy Camp shares some of his story about worshiping amidst the trials of life.

• Have You Seen Hope?  – Sarah Markley blogs about her trip to Peru with Compassion International and about finding hope even where it doesn’t seem like it should be.

• Pondering Psalm 139 – A powerful post about what it means (and what it doesn’t mean) that God knit us together in our mother’s womb. (H/T)

• Three Important Church Trends – Ed Stetzer rounds-up three trends that are affecting churches in America.

I was thinking of this recently as I shared my story with a group of students. Those who know me know that another part of my story is that my dad passed away very unexpectedly two years ago. Never before had I put those two incidents – my early graduation and my father’s heavenly homecoming – so close together. As I did so, I realized that what was true for me, was also true of my dad. He received an early “graduation” because he was so disciplined about living for God while on this Earth. The commencement of his eternal life started a  earlier than expected, but that wasn’t an accident. He had finished the work that God called him to do.

There are at least three ways in which my dad demonstrated his disciplined pursuit of God. They are:

• He devoted himself to the Scriptures – As I’ve written about my dad before, he was a student of the Bible. However, my dad didn’t just read the Scriptures – he studied and memorized them. Upon his passing, I had the chance to see the commentary that he was working on putting together. We also found his ring of notecards that he was using to commit even more of God’s Word to memory. My dad didn’t just consume Scripture – he loved it. And his life reflected that devotion.

• He prayed expectantly – One of the things that I grew to appreciate about my dad was his penchant for making lists. Like many people, he kept a prayer list, but he also noted when and how those prayer requests were answered. Additionally, he kept this list in his planner so he always had a handy reminder of God’s faithfulness and generosity. My dad prayed expecting an answer and looked forward to when he would write that answer on his list.

• He discipled purposefully – When I was younger, my dad was involved in all sorts of formal discipleship programs at church. When I grew older, his work took him farther from home, and he couldn’t make all of the scheduled programs. However, that didn’t stop him from discipling. He looked for opportunities to help others grow in their faith and intentionally pursued those opportunities that God provided. Whether as part of a formal program or not, he was committed to sharing God’s truth with others and helping them in their walk with God.

Graduation ceremonies are usually occasions of much celebration as we acknowledge the start of the next chapter in a person’s life.  My dad’s commencement into Heaven may have been sooner than we expected, but I’m sure he was met with much Heavenly applause. After all, he lived a life worthy of an early graduation, with honors.

• Confession - A favorite preacher of mine shares a heart-felt confession and provides a reminder for us all of the importance of prayer and worship in our lives.

• Christianity Without Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer on what a discipleship-less faith really means.

• The Biblical Definition of Worship – Watch this video for a biblical definition of worship by Doug Wilson, and an explanation of why “praise” is not synonymous with worship.

• Discerning the Conversion of a Child – Brian Croft tackles a tough question and gives us 5 things to consider (H/T).

• How My Dad Made a Difference – In honor of my dad’s birthday, I’m sharing a post I wrote about him and how he made a difference in not only my life, but so many others.

• Psalm 121: What It Means the Yahweh is Your Guardian - Jason DeRouchie writes an insightful post about what it means that our Savior guards us. Particularly of interest was his relationship of this word and the work of God in the perseverance of the saints.

• Family Facts #1 - Joe Carter reports on research that reveals the association between holding to the spiritual significance of marriage and marriage quality.

• On Heretics & Helpfulness: Relating to those Outside Orthodoxy – Ed Stetze provides a case study on what it might look like to relate to those with unorthodox views, especially those who are reconsidering them in light of biblical truth.

• Just Keep Going – Kevin DeYoung reminds us of the call to persevere and relates how doing so, brought about the end of slavery in England.

• Success and Jesus – Ray Ortlund reminds us that “success” for the Christian looks different than we might anticipate.

However,  Job 26 recently reminded me that God may not be as “quiet” as I tend to think. After all, the Earth is a display of God’s greatness. He places the world in orbit, causes the sun and moon to rise, stirs up waves and cause them to crash. By His hand,  seasons are brought forth. These things and more scream of God’s majesty and splendor. They loudly tell of His greatness and might. They shout of His excellence. They boldly proclaim the goodness of our King.

Yet, they are only a whisper of Him (Job 26:14). They are but a trifle of what He can do. Creating the Earth wasn’t a stretch for God – it was something He accomplished with a word. What we rightly see as a magnificent display of God’s greatness, is only a small reflection of the power that He holds. The Earth isn’t His magnum opus; it was a project that He accomplished in just 6 days.

It’s important to quiet ourselves in order to listen to God. Yet at the same time, we need to recognize that His Creation is constantly telling the story of His greatness. And what we view as a loud proclamation of His majesty, is only a whisper from the perspective of Heaven.

• The Stupendous Reality of Being In Christ - John Piper provides a list of 13 things that this blessed truth means.

• Real Women Don’t Text Back - An interesting perspective on what women are doing to “fuel the man-boy problem.”

• My New Problem with Rap Music - I thought this was both insightful and convicting. Jon Acuff reflects on making sure we read the rest of I Cor. 10:23

• Picture Perfect Marriage III – Tim Challies continues his exposition of Ephesians 5, this time focusing on the call for husbands.

• Most Americans Consider Religion When Voting for a Candidate - 70% of Americans consider religion (either positively or negatively) when choosing who to vote for.

While I don’t know the reasons for the couple’s decision, I was struck by the fact that two people who annually commit to share their lives together would decide to separate. For a lot of couples it seems that their decision to end their marriage (or at least to live separately from their spouse) is a result of a slow deterioration in the relationship. One would be tempted to think that an annual vow renewal would prevent such an erosion. Then I realized that it was a foolish thought. An annual vow renewal is not nearly frequent enough. Instead, it needs to happen each and every day.

Now before you think I am suggesting an elaborate ceremony each day, I’m not. What I am suggesting however, is that just like we must daily die to our selves to pick up our cross and follow Jesus, we must daily remind ourselves of the commitment that we made to our spouse. Daily we must choose to sacrifice “me” for the sake of “us.” Daily would must commit ourselves to demonstrating love, even, maybe especially, when the other person isn’t lovely. Daily we must say “for better or worse; ’til death do us part.”

On your wedding day it’s easy to see only the best in the person that you are marrying. They are (usually) dressed in their snazziest clothes and you are reminded of all the reasons that you agreed to pledge your life to this person. Later on, in the grit and grime of daily life, that image can fade. Yet it’s in the most moments that your vows become most important. It’s in those moments that your promises hold weight.

An annual vow renewal is a nice idea – and I suppose it’s a memorable way to celebrate your anniversary. However, more marriages would be better served by a daily vow renewal – not one of ceremonial proportions but a daily commitment to live out the promises that were made on their wedding day. And if we fail at keeping them perfectly one day, to quickly forgive ourselves and our spouse, and vow to keep them when the sun rises next.  Til death parts us.