I conducted an object lesson for a large group of Elementary kids at church a few years ago. I was trying to teach them the meaning of the word ENDURANCE. In Matthew 24:13 Jesus said, “He who endures to the end will be saved” so knowing what the word ENDURE means would put the kids at a definite advantage.
I set up a platform with a bar hanging across two wooden poles in the center of the room. A rope was suspended from the bar. I then asked for a volunteer from the audience. A little third-grade girl raised her hand and I called her forward. I asked the little girl to grab hold of the rope as I lifted her up about two feet off the ground. She grasped the rope in her hands, I released her. She hung there, clinging to the rope, her feet about two feet above ground. As she clung to the rope I told her and the class “Endurance is when you hang on as long as you can…and then you keep on hanging on.”
I asked the little girl to let me know when she was getting tired of holding on to the rope. About a minute later she said she was getting tired. The rest of the class cheered her on. I told her “Just promise me you won’t let go and drop to the floor until you’ve first let me know that you’ve hung on as long as you can.” A few moments later she said “I’m about to drop, I can’t hold on any longer.” Right when she said that I had a couple of assistants quickly come into the room and put a large tub of water just beneath her feet. If she released her grip from the rope she would fall into the water and get soaked. She let out a little scream as she gripped the rope more tightly and pulled herself up from the water below, and the class full of kids got a good laugh in the process. The little girl suddenly discovered that she could hold on longer than she originally thought. She gained a new appreciation for the word ENDURANCE that day.
So, I leave you with this word of encouragement today: HOLD ON…..and when you think you’ve held on as long as you can, KEEP HOLDING ON. There is a prize waiting for those who ENDURE, for those who remain strong and won’t quit. HOLD ON FOR THE PRIZE!
Philippians 3:14 (NAS)
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
