The Bible is filled with promises from God — promises that He’ll strength us, uphold us, and be with us through all the trials and tribulations this world brings. His grace is sufficient for us in our weaknesses; when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, He renews the Spirit within us to face any challenge the enemy tries to bring.

It takes courage to persevere in the midst of tough times. But when we recognize that nothing and nobody is stronger than the God who lives within us, we find the fortitude to face whatever battles come our way. As we do so, we can serve as an encouragement to others who might be facing similar struggles and show them the hope they need to keep going.

God allows trials and suffering in this life because He wants to refine our character and make us more like Him. Sometimes we have to wait on His timing, even when we don’t feel like it makes sense. But instead of “trying” His patience by doing things our way, what if we tried adopting His patience to persevere through our suffering?

Hebrews 12 tells us to run the race before us with perseverance. As Christians, part of our “race” is the responsibility of reaching others with the Gospel. There will be times when we’re tired and in need of rest and that’s okay — but we have to get back up and keep moving forward so that we don’t coast to the finish line.

Sooner or later, all marriages hit those ruts in the road where “feelings” of love seem to have been lost in the monotony of day-to-day reality. But love isn’t a feeling, it’s a decision, and when it seems like the feelings are gone, it’s more important than ever to remember what worked in the beginning when it was all fresh and new — and then to do those things again. In the same way, when our relationship with the Lord feels dry and those exciting first steps have faded into memory, it’s more important than ever to press in to Him like we did in the beginning, and trust that the feelings will follow.