Endurance Through Trials
Lent on the Run — Day 29
And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
— Romans 5:3-5
Those who have had a coach—or have been on some sort of team—know the feeling of seeing a tough-looking speed workout pop up on the training calendar. You glance at the intervals and think, There’s no way I can finish this. But you lace up anyway. You show up.
As the workout unfolds, something incredible happens: you discover strength you didn’t know you had. With every interval, your body adjusts, your stride finds rhythm, and your heart proves capable. Even if the workout doesn’t go well, there’s still something to be learned. Something gained. Endurance isn’t just about finishing strong—it’s about showing up, again and again.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, reflects on something similar. He doesn’t glorify suffering but names what can grow in us through it. “…Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” (Romans 5:3–4, NRSV). He’s not saying suffering is good, but that even in life’s hardest moments, we are not alone—and something deeper is being formed in us when we lean on God.
Lent, with its quiet reflection and intentional discipline, mirrors those hard training days. It isn’t about embracing pain for pain’s sake, but about discovering who we are and who God is in the midst of challenge. Whether it’s a spiritual dry spell, a broken relationship, or simply the weight of daily life—these trials can shape us when we walk through them with trust.
Endurance doesn’t mean ignoring struggle or pushing through on your own. It means showing up and relying on the steady presence of God, who runs with us every mile. Hope is born not from having it all figured out, but from knowing we don’t run alone.
What trials are you facing right now? How might you shift your perspective to see them as places where endurance—and ultimately hope—is being formed through your reliance on God?
Lent Photo-A-Day
For the Whole Series
Don’t forget their will be no devotion on Sunday, keep tuned in for the series to continue on Monday.
Oh this one hits! And that it is from Romans…hardly a scholar myself, but as I try and decipher/learn more about the Bible, this one seems to come up with some frequency. I agree on the training. Even when, and more often than not, the training is not a record breaker, I find my resolve to continue to strengthen.