“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus” (Revelation 14:12 NIV).
We often admire those who demonstrate their willingness to persevere through difficult situations. Those who are willing to sacrifice for their beliefs and stand firm in the face of adversity are those who often earn our greatest respect. If we seek to emulate those characteristics in our spiritual lives, then we must cultivate the virtuous quality of patient endurance.
The New Testament epistle of James expands on this idea by saying, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12 NIV). Jesus also touched upon the practical aspects of this subject in a lengthy excerpt from the Gospel of Matthew…
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’” (Matthew 25:31-40).
In like manner, “The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden” (1 Timothy 5:24 NIV). To paraphrase Revelation 14:13, our works will follow us if we seek God’s enablement to patiently endure life’s trials and challenges.