Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus. Hebrews 12:1b-2a NKJ

In our journey as Christians, it is vital that we fill our hearts daily with the encouragement of God's Word. And though God has given us, in His Word, everything we need to overcome all discouragements, weaknesses, sin, obstacles and Satan's attacks along the way, we ourselves must take the responsibility to apply them. Like the car we drive, we must keep filling our tank by following each instruction; otherwise, we will not be able to survive emotionally and spiritually in the long run. Let's look at two of these important instructions.

Give thanks in all circumstances
First Thessalonians 5:18 contains one of the most powerful instructions for staying alive in our spiritual journey admist adverse circumstances: "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Run the race with endurance
The writer of Hebrews said, "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). He was very much aware that we are enlisted in a marathon race that can only be won if we have sufficient stamina to last the entire long distance.

As Americans, we suffer from lack of endurance. Our society is very fluid - people move frequently and surveys show that 50 percent of engaged couples think at least once that if their marriage doesn't work out, they will have a chance on a second one.

It is much easier for us to change, walk away, close our hearts, become bitter or give up instead of enduring for the long haul. It is an uncommon thing to find - in our society and in the Church - the "stickability", permanency, endurance and commitment in the face of difficulty that the Bible talks about when it comes to following Jesus.

Especially if you are a young person, I encourage you to embrace the word "endurance". Paul wrote to his young disciple Timothy, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier for Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 2:3). In other words, "Although enduring hardship is difficult, hold onto it, because through this you will grow and improve on the inside."

I encourage you to think often about how it's all going to end in 1, 15, 20 or 50 years from now, when your race is over. You should be able to say, "I ran the race well."

Whatever discouragements and difficulties we face right now are not the end of the world. They are just temporary afflictions. And God already has given us His grace to win the victory. Don't stop; keep running the race!
K.P. Yohannan - founder and president of Gospel for Asia