Perseverance in the Christian life is a constant struggle. Many hindrances and challenges may trouble us and tempt us to give up our faith. But God provides examples of trustworthy leaders in each generation to guide and support as we “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).

An Example of a Trustworthy Leader
Hebrews 11 features a long list of great heroes of faith from the past. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were trustworthy leaders whom all Jews were familiar with and whose exemplary lives reflected their faith in God.

A trustworthy and exemplary leader who influenced and guided me was Edwin V. Hayden. Mr. Hayden (I never felt right calling him Edwin) was a minister, writer, teacher, editor, and author. He was editor of Christian Standard for 20 years and, after retiring, was a lesson writer/editor for more than one Sunday school commentary published by Standard Publishing.

I came to know Mr. Hayden better when I first served as an elder with Lockland Christian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he also served as elder. Mr. Hayden was a consistent and authentic disciple of Christ. He helped me many times merely by serving as an example. But he also offered encouraging words and counsel to a green elder—words that meant so much more because of his stature (and he wasn’t a tall man!) When I went to him with a problem, he would listen quietly and wait for me to finish speaking before offering comment. When he did speak, it was in a soothing, understanding voice that provided assurance he would help in any way he could. When I told him our oldest daughter was going to go to college to become a journalist, his eyes got bright and he smiled; he was excited to know someone else would be using their talents for the Lord in the field of journalism.

For discussion:
Name a trustworthy leader you’ve met in your walk with the Lord. Give examples of their faithfulness.

How does our faith in God relate to our need for discipline, patience, and perseverance?

The Most Excellent Trustworthy Leader
We are thankful for the great heroes of faith God has supplied for us—but alas, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But there is one most excellent example of a trustworthy leader: Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

So, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2), the only perfect example of faith in God. He is the only One we can count on to always be there for us. He endured much: opposition from the Jewish leaders of his time; dissent and doubt among his own disciples; attempts to silence him; a wrongful arrest and beating; mocking and crucifixion. And yet, he persevered throughout it all.

The writer of Hebrews uses the analogy of running a race (12:1), but we could also use other modern sports analogies: from basketball, playing a full 40 minutes (the whole game); from football, playing sideline to sideline (the entire width of the field). These all say the same thing: our success in pursuit of righteousness is a never-ending battle. We must never “grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3).

Christ never gave up, so neither should we. When hardships occur—and they will—we need to use such times to reflect on our relationship with God and to come through those dark days as a stronger, more mature disciple of Christ.

In late 2003 I was diagnosed with colon cancer. Today, I am in remission. But in between were many dark days of doubt and feelings of anger and despair. God has a way of disciplining us that may seem unfair at the time, but in the end is helpful to us. The trick is keeping the faith alive and taking it one day at a time.

For discussion:
Give examples of tough times that have increased your faith.

What are a few proactive ideas that would prevent you from repeating the same sinful acts?

* All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, unless otherwise indicated.