Teach the older men to be … sound … in endurance.
Summary: The word endurance can refer to something you have done (i.e. – He endured a difficult moment) or it can refer to an ongoing process (i.e. – His endurance kept him going at it day after day). Paul wants us to learn both, but he is talking about the second kind in today’s passage.
In our meditation, “Titus 2:2 (g) — A Kind of Love,” we looked at an English word used in place of eight or nine Greek words. Today we look at the opposite: A single Greek word that can be translated into many different English words.
Several years ago I bought a mountain bike. My thought was that it would be fun to do something I had enjoyed doing as a young man. Not that I had a “mountain bike” as a young man. I don’t even think there was such a thing in those days. But I did enjoy biking, and I had taken some long cross-country trips.
About the same time, several other people in the office where I work took up mountain biking as a form of exercise. At lunchtime, several of them would get together and ride over to the large County park near the office. Then they would ride hard for forty minutes or so before coming back to the office. When the weather was good, they did this every day.
My idea of biking was less about exercise and more about enjoyment. I had other things to do during lunch hour, so I never did go out biking with my coworkers at lunch.
My buddy in the next cubicle was sort of a de-facto ring leader for the riders. One day he decided to organize a ride on a Saturday. Somehow I caught wind of it and decided to tag along.
The Saturday for the meet-up arrived, and I threw my barely used mountain bike in the back of my truck. I headed down to the trailhead and met everyone else there. It was a beautiful day. Everyone was in high spirits, and I was looking forward to an enjoyable outing.
We headed off down the trail, and soon I was in the lead, merrily peddling along. The first part of the trail was nearly flat for about half a mile. Then there was a long, steady hill that had to be climbed to get to the next part of the ride. It was on this hill that I learned about endurance.
The Greek word that the NIV translates as “endurance” is hypomonḗ (pronounced hoop-om-on-ay’). It can also be translated as cheerful, constancy, enduring, patience, or waiting (Strong’s).
The difference between me and everyone else on that ride was that the others had a different kind of endurance. They built up their endurance through patient and constant exercise. Every day they built up their cardiovascular reserves, tested their muscles, and grew stronger. It was their endurance in preparation that made for physical endurance on the hill.
When we came to the hill, I faded fast. Those who came behind me pedaled up as steadily as they had pedaled across the flat trail. I, humbled by gravity, had to stop and walk my bike up most of the hill. Even that was a challenge. (To make matters worse, there was a little old lady out for a hike that day who kept passing me each time I walked the bike. — Soooo embarrassing!)
My friends kindly waited for me at the top and refused to let me quit and go home. That was a mistake. As a result of me almost dying trying to keep up, they could all have been charged as accessories to murder!
The endurance for one hill climb is not the type that Paul is wanting for Christian leaders. He wants them to have the kind of endurance my friends had exhibited when they rode their bikes every day. They were persistent, patient, and steadfast in their commitment to their goal of physical conditioning. Likewise, the “older men” need to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, sound in faith, and sound in love every day. Regardless of the weather or how they feel, they must persevere and endure until they meet the Lord face to face.
Application: Think of Christian service as an eternal commitment — because it is.
Food for Thought: What is the difference between sound endurance and unsound endurance?
The thing about building endurance like strength training is it needs to be built gradually with just a bi more with each exercise period or spiritual exercise. Conditioning does not happen overnight. It takes consistency and commitment.
Pain and sore muscles or spiritual stretching happens when new goals or spiritual disciplines are attempted. We need persistence and encouragement in order to succeed. Who are you supporting and encouraging in their spiritual walk?
As to physical fitness, a few of us are a bit growth challenged. It seems our metabolism does not quite burn calories at the tate it used to when we were a bit less chronologically challenged. What is with that? Who said life is fair. Nevertheless. persistence in diet and exercise will yield results with persistent application of less calories and greater fitness.
At least one would hope so anyway.
Perhaps an increase of either confidence, and faith or consistency in discipline is required to see results. Sound like potential 😫 tired or sore muscles may be necessary. Ugh!
Jeff,
You make a good point. Support of others along the spiritual exercise trail is really helpful!
This reminds me where Paul tells us to run the race with endurance,..not as if to win but to finish strong,..
Your story explains the differnece really well,..if you would have spent time with your buddies during lunch you would have been just as sound as they were in that area,..
Still you carried on to the end,..so it’s not whether we win or lose,..but it’s how we prep ourselves to stay in the race,..
Good point, John.
You might say one kind of endurance is proactive and the other is reactive.
Thank you for the great analogy and excellent devotion.
To me, sound endurance is placing all the training and exercise to run after Jesus instead of pursuing something else, like religious observance. Hebrews 12: 1 – 3; Philippians 3: 12 – 14.
Rich,
Great observation and a very interesting distinction!
What is the difference between sound endurance and unsound endurance?
Websters says: Sound endurance is the ability to withstand hardship or adversity, the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity. Unsound endurance would be the inability to do this.
I developed what the world might call sound endurance while training in the USMC. There were challenging obstacle courses which had to be completed in a short time, 3 and 12 mile runs, on paved roads or the rolling California hills where we would run the firebreaks, 3 – 4 inches of plowed dirt which created a cloud of dust to help us breath as we ran in formation.
Then there were extended combat maneuvers in desert conditions with extreme water rationing, snow with no cold weather gear and in heavy vegetation with limited visibility and no land marks. Each man and his equipment were required to function effectively day and night. Our physical and mental capabilities were stretched beyond our expectations. At some point hardships became normal, the impossible became possible and we functioned as one in all circumstances.
As a believer, we have become a spiritually alive person, confined to a demanding physical body, and we must reject the sound endurance of men as we look to God for “true sound endurance.” God has given us saving faith thru Jesus Christ, His Word as our instruction manual. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and the strength to overcome our old self, old priorities. Today I find sound endurance comes from daily study and application of Gods word, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. Sound endurance to each believer is a life of discipline, growing in spirit as we shrink in our flesh. Our spirits report to God, we live for Him. We are eternally secure in Christ, and now must rest in His strength as He ministers to those around us. All the daily turmoil and commotion around us is for those who look to this world for their security. Ignore what we see and hear of this world. Seek a servants heart from God and the power to serve others over ourselves. Develop Godly Sound Endurance in all circumstances as He take away the pain of any physical hardships and truly makes the impossible possible.
Hebrews 12:1-3, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Ron,
Thank you for sharing today. I especially appreciated this sentence:
“At some point hardships became normal, the impossible became possible and we functioned as one in all circumstances.”
That seems an apt description of life as a believer.
(Mark 9:23)
Ron don’t you miss those days?
Many memories of my time as Jarhead T. What they did for me has remained for life.
Jeff get a motorcycle.
Mr. T,
LOL! Thanks, I tried that. 🙂
Well I cant wait for that story.
👍🏻👍🏻