As a leader at my church, I have been learning how very important it is that I take responsibility for the other women in my life.  Those placed in my path are not there by accident, but by divine purpose and destiny.  I am learning to not take relationships lightly.  I feel as though my relationship with others is becoming my highest priority and calling in life, for the first time in my life.

Life is not certain or easy. We all have battles to fight in one way or another, and we all have big lives to live.  I don’t know what battle you might be facing today, but I do know our God will sustain you.  He is strong and able and completely loving in all His ways.  Sustaining us is not just something He does, it is who He is.  It’s not hard for Him.  Our toughest battles are not difficult for Him.

Psalm 18:35 says, “You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.”

Psalm 119:116 says, “Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.”

He cares about our position, He cares about our hopes, and He cares about every aspect of the durability of our lives.

This month, since I’ve been putting my own spin on the environment, I wanted to look at the concept of sustainability.  Within the environmental community, sustainability is the capacity to endure.  We judge a product’s ability to be sustained by whether or not there is ready access to more.

The dictionary says that sustain means: –verb (used with object)

1. to support, hold, or bear up from below; bear the weight of, as a structure.

2. to bear (a burden, charge, etc.).

3. to undergo, experience, or suffer (injury, loss, etc.); endure without giving way or yielding.

I like that last one: “to endure without giving way or yielding”.  I want my life to be marked by the ability to not give way to forces around me. I also want ready access to more.  Don’t we all?  I want more from my time here, more of God in my life, more of His presence, and more usability from me as His servant.  To me, it comes down to making daily choices that promote longevity.  A lifelong love relationship with others and with God requires me to make some things a priority while letting other things go.

Yes, we face battles, but we must understand we cannot sustain a life of fighting forever.  In order for my existence to be sustained, I must learn the art of rest.  I must learn to obey the Sabbath.  I must rely on Jesus to replenish my soul as often as possible. Choosing a sustainable life means I ask tough questions of my own heart. Is my mind stayed on Him?  Am I replenishing myself so that I’ll have more to pour out into others lives later?  Am I being pressured by what others think of me or am I listening to what God is speaking to me? Will the character I have worked so hard on stand the test of time?  Have I invested wisely in relationships so that they have what it takes to make it for the long haul?

Christians are actually called to endure quite a few things according to scripture. We are to endure hardship, persecution, suffering, trials, and “everything”.  Endure “everything”?  That’s what it says in 2 Timothy 2:10.  “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.”

What does “everything” include?   Does it include the good stuff?  Good stuff like taking time to see the beauty in your life, to enjoy and reflect upon God’s magnitude in creation, to relish in the joy of family, without feeling guilty for stepping away to do so is something I’m learning to aim for. Enduring the good?  What a concept.  What a worthy goal.  Truly, how many people do you know, that have tenacity to remain close to God during hard times but when life is good, they cut and run?  Can we endure the good and stay close to God just as we learn to endure the difficult?

I am discovering the contentment of knowing there are some things that endure forever. God’s love, His name, His word, His righteousness, and His Kingdom are some of the things that the Bible tells us, will endure. In a world of change, these are the things we can stand on that we know will last forever!  Unchangeable, immovable, incorruptible, perfect ways of God are a comfort that we can hold on to.

God’s ways are perfect even when we can’t figure them out.  Maybe that is part of the beauty of God’s enormity.  We can’t completely figure Him out. However, we can trust Him.  He can rely on the fact that He is ready to sustain us.  Now and forever!  Today I will give Him glory and honor and praise because He has sustained me in the past and I can trust that He will continue to sustain me in the future.

Jude 1:24-25 says, “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

No matter how you choose to define sustainability, it is clear that we are created to last.  The story of our life is meant to remain long after we stop breathing.  We must make choices that lead us to longevity and know that God is able to sustain our lives through good times, through bad times, through work, through rest, everyday, now and forever, into eternity.