The Miracle of Persistence

Have you ever wondered what is God’s will for your life, perhaps especially during difficult times?

What is God’s will – for every single person regardless of faith, culture/background, gender/sexuality, age, education, rich or poor, single or married? What does God want for us, not just for a New Year ahead, but anytime and all the time?

When we look up in the English Bible that specific phrase “God’s will” or “the Father’s will” it only appears a surprising few times:
● Mark 3:35, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
● Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
● 1 Thess 4:3-6, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body …”
● 1 Thess 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
● 1 Peter 2:15, “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”
● 1 Peter 4:12-19, “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed … If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God … So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
● John 6:40, “For it is my Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

In summary, as Christians:
● It is possible to know God’s will
● And if we follow Jesus, we will seek God’s will and do God’s will
● It is God’s will for us to be sanctified/sexually pure
● It is God’s will for us to rejoice, pray, and be thankful
● It is God’s will for us to do good … even when we suffer, or are despised and insulted by others because of Christ
And for all people:
● It is God’s will (His plan, His deep desire) that every person would come to know Him, through Jesus Christ, and receive eternal life

That’s from only 6 or 7 New Testaments verses/passages. But truthfully, the whole Bible reveals God’s will. As an example, let’s dig deeper by looking at Colossians 1:9-23.

Read Colossians 1:9-23

Notice the following:
● In v.9, Paul prays that Christians would know God’s will, and then goes on to describe what God’s will looks like in vv.10-12
● In vv.15-20, clearly Christ is crucial to God’s will and plan; Christ and the Cross are at the centre of it all, and in the end Christ will have supremacy over everything

Discuss the Bible passage (15 minutes):
● From vv.10-12, what are some of the good things that God wills for His people?
● vv.13-14 and vv.21-23 describe a pivotal transfer and transformation that happens as part of God’s will for all people – from darkness to light, from alienation and enmity toward God, to peace and reconciliation with God, only through Christ. v.23 says, “This is the gospel.” How have you personally experienced this (or are yet to experience this) in your own life and faith journey?

From this passage we can also see that there are four common ‘ingredients’ that God uses to accomplish His will. These four factors remain the same, regardless of all the variations in people’s background, life experiences, which part of the world they live in or come from, even where a person might be at right now in this plan of God from darkness to light …

It’s still the same four things (aside from Jesus, who as we said is at the centre of it all):
1. God’s Word, we proclaim (v.23)
2. God's Spirit, we pray (v.9)
3. God’s People, we need people (throughout this passage every “you” is plural)
4. Over and over, we persevere (v.11, v.23)

Perseverance is described in the dictionary as: “Steady persistence in a course of action or purpose, especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.”

Persistence not only applies when times are tough – to keep going. But persistence also applies when everything’s great; because to be persistent also means to be consistent – a little bit regularly over a long period of time has more lasting impact than a flurry only every once in a while.

Discuss / Application (15-20 mins):
● What examples can you think of where long, continuous, steady progress is needed for an excellent, satisfying outcome? (e.g. elite athlete, virtuoso musician, favourite fragrant and delicious meal, etc.)
● Sometimes God does things quickly in an instant, and we call it a miracle; but most of the time God brings change to and within us over a long period, and it is no less a miracle. Since you became a committed Christian, how have you changed in your character and behaviour? Or if you’ve been a Christian for a long time, how have your character and behaviour changed in the last 3-5 years? (If you’re not sure, ask others who have known you before and after, what they have observed.)
● Thinking about the times you grew the most in your faith, did they happen when life was easy or when you experienced suffering and grief? Share an example.
● Persistent also means consistent, particularly in the things that matter. How can you be more consistent this year in:
○ God’s Word, and proclaiming it to yourself and to others?
○ God’s Spirit, and prayer?
○ God’s People, and being with them, mutually encouraging each other to keep growing?

Read one more time God’s will for us in Colossians 1:9-14

Close in prayer for each other