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Answer
Second Timothy contains the moving testimony of the apostle Paul, who describes his life as “being poured out like a drink offering” and acknowledges that the time of his death had arrived “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”, (2 Timothy 4:6). In verse 5, he instructs Timothy to “keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” Paul, who had experienced imprisonment, beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, hunger, cold, and destitution (2 Corinthians 11:23-28), was well-equipped to offer guidance on enduring suffering for the Lord Jesus. Despite his trials, Paul persevered, completed the race, and remained faithful “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”, (2 Timothy 4:7).
Hardships manifest in various forms such as temptations, illnesses, job loss, broken relationships, and persecution for one’s faith. Christians should not be caught off guard by these challenges, as Jesus forewarned, “In this world you will have trouble” “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”, (John 16:33). The comforting aspect is that Jesus reassured His followers by saying, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Through His grace, we can endure.
Endurance entails more than mere survival; it involves persevering in the same manner as before the onset of suffering. IfPaul had endured his sufferings. If he had given up, disobeyed God, or stopped working for Christ, he would not have truly “endured.” Had he reacted with bitterness, anger, or retaliation, he could not claim to have “endured.”
Paul’s response to suffering was not to succumb to circumstances but to understand that Christ calls His church to endure hardships (John 16:33; Luke 14:27). He expressed joy in suffering, believing he was filling up what was lacking in Christ’s afflictions (Colossians 1:24). Each time Paul faced adversity, he felt a deeper connection with Christ. He found joy in suffering for the church, seeing it as a privilege to share in Christ’s sufferings (Philippians 3:10).
As Christians, we should seek God in our suffering, trusting that He will help us through every trial and temptation. God is faithful and will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear, providing a way out so we can endure (1 Corinthians 10:13). We can learn to rejoice in trials, following Paul’s example, knowing that suffering for Christ brings a deeper fellowship with Him.Suffering produces virtues such as endurance, godly character, and lively hope (Romans 5:3-5).
To “endure” does not mean simply to grin and bear it. Christians will feel sad, betrayed, or even angry at times. These emotions in and of themselves are not bad; they only become sin when we allow them to take root in our lives and produce bitterness, evil thoughts of revenge, or unforgiveness. Believers must remember that everything that comes into our lives is under the control of a sovereign God who has promised He is working all things out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose «And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. », (Romans 8:28).
Jesus is the ultimate example of someone who endured hardship «looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. », (Hebrews 12:2). The author of Hebrews reminds believers of Christ’s perseverance at the hands of sinners. Jesus, in spite of great suffering, never turned back, even from the cross (Hebrews 12:2-4). Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus endured the cross “for the joy set before him.” Although Christ knew the suffering the cross would provide, His anticipated joy enabled Him to keep going; He knew what the rewards would be—the redemption of mankind and a seat at the right hand of God. In the same way, Christians can find hope to endure when we consider the rewards God has promised us. “Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that whenWhen you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. For, ‘In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.’ And, ‘But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.’ But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved” (Hebrews 10:35-39).
