Sold at 1.7 million dollars, the 114-year-old artifact now rested peacefully in a glass case. It had endured to the end.
While on vacation in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, my wife and I visited the Titanic Museum. No pictures or videos were allowed except in one room: the Memorial Room. In this room rested the violin that the band leader had played as the ship sank beneath the icy Atlantic Ocean. In fact, the entire band played as passengers boarded lifeboats and others scrambled for their lives.
Although none of the band members survived the sinking of the “unsinkable” ship, the violin survived and was later sold. We were fortunate to see what museum administrators would only display until Labor Day before they returned it to a hidden vault. I was amazed that a piece of wood could survive water and time and endure to the end.
When Jesus tells us to endure to the end to be saved, he isn’t saying we must live with fear that he’ll take his forgiveness and salvation from us. Instead, despite the persecutions we’ll face as his children, we will be saved in the end. People can kill our bodies, but they can’t touch our souls.
I have no idea what that violin has faced over the last one hundred years; nor can I know what I will face from now until I draw my final breath. What I do know is that only God can help us endure to the end. The power of the one living in us is greater than any other power we might face. When we accept Christ as our Savior, he seals us with his Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit in us will carry us through any persecution, trial, temptation, or disappointment.
But an element of responsibility is involved in enduring to the end. Our choices are ours. When we choose things that aren’t beneficial spiritually, we complicate the journey, making it more challenging to endure.
A willingness to make sacrifices is also on the journey of endurance. Anything worth having is worth paying a price for. We must give up everything hindering our spiritual growth. However, the good news is that when we endure to the end, we’ll leave behind a legacy for our family, friends, and acquaintances.
Let God energize you so you can endure to the end.
Father, give me strength to serve you faithfully to the end, regardless of what might come my way.
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