One of the early lessons I am being taught as I learn to cope with chemotherapy and to battle cancer is that as a cancer warrior you need to learn to persevere. After just a few short classes, Dr Chemo has permanently imprinted the lesson of Dr Perseverance right into my cerebral storage.
A little refresher: perseverance means to be persistent, to refuse to stop.
When I did my word search on persevere in the ESV New Testament I really expected to get far more hits than I did. Only two occurrences showed up … and neither one had anything to do with me simply persevering through chemotherapy treatments … something far deeper revealed itself. Let’s start with the Armor of God passage …
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:10-20 (ESV)
The first object of perseverance revealed in Scripture … to pray for ALL the saints (including Paul) that the gospel may be declared boldly according to the Spirit.
Then we move on to the book of James for the second occurence …
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:22-25 (ESV)
The second object of perseverance in Scripture … to be doers of the word, and not hearers only (and yet one must become a hearer of the word before he or she becomes a doer of the word), that you may become who God created you to be.
So while persevering through chemotherapy may seem to be critical to my life in this moment, what Scripture reveals as the objects of our perseverance should be constantly paramount in my pursuit of the way, the truth and the life … Christ Jesus!
And perhaps that is just one of the many lessons that I could only see and learn through the eyes and experience of chemotherapy and cancer …
“We rejoice in our sufferings” … I’m not there yet Lord … but I’m getting a glimpse …
Bernie
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