Endure or Walk Away

Building a life with a loving husband and adoring children is a dream many women share. Given the divorce rate in our society, many couples feel blessed if they’ve managed to stay married without being torn apart by hurtful words, emotional pain, or physical abuse. Recently, I spoke with a woman in her late sixties who decided to divorce her husband after forty years of marriage. “I endured it long enough – abuse doesn’t always leave visible scars,” she said. The idea of enduring for so long and thinking you can “make it work” is something many women can relate to.

Endurance is a strong, intangible word that carries a lot of weight. Although it’s not something we can physically touch, it conveys a sense of strength, perseverance, and resilience. It speaks to a person’s ability to stand firm in Christ amid a season of difficulties and challenges.

Endurance signifies our capacity to keep going despite tiredness and the darts the enemy throws our way. It takes physical, mental, and emotional stamina, solidifying the reality that endurance is a benchmark of inner spiritual strength. The Apostle Paul said in Hebrews 12:1 (NLT), “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Life’s challenges can weigh us down, but God calls us to persevere because what we stand to gain is a prize worthy of our calling. We’re not to keep looking back to the past. Our privilege and responsibility are to keep our eyes focused on Jesus Christ as we run our race.

Someone might ask, “Well, how much am I supposed to take?” The kind of endurance our Heavenly Father is pointing us to doesn’t involve abuse. It’s not about allowing someone to push us to the point of breaking or enduring unnecessary suffering. Instead, it’s about finding strength in Him during trials and learning to persevere through difficulties with grace and faith. God’s call to endure means trusting His plan, standing firm in His love, and holding onto hope, even when the road is tough. It’s about relying on His strength to overcome challenges, not bearing burdens and suffering that God never intended for His children.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) tells us, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” Hardly any other thing in life will challenge us in the way that significant relationships do. Through them, the devil will bring many temptations, and they are no joke. They vehemently come against our faith and well-being, but God is faithful. He provides a way out of temptation. This is a truth we sometimes overlook, but it’s crucial to remember. Even in the midst of relationship struggles, God is working for our good. If we’re suffering abuse, He will always show us a way out. We can trust this wholeheartedly.

Romans 5:3-5 (NLT) encourages us to deepen our faith in how God uses trials and temptations for our good when the enemy sent them to harm us. This passage says, “3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” These verses show us that although God doesn’t cause our difficulties, He will employ them to shape our character and increase our hope. The endurance we build through trials not only strengthens us but also draws us closer to Him, reminding us of His love and faithfulness through the Holy Spirit.

When relationships get tough, the key is knowing when to press on with greater endurance and when it’s time to gather the strength to leave and seek God’s rescue. Not every challenge in a relationship is meant to be endured indefinitely; some situations require boundaries, healing, or even decision to walk away. The Holy Spirit helps guide us in these moments, giving us the wisdom to know the difference. It’s in seeking God’s guidance that we find the clarity to make choices that honor both our well-being and His Will for our lives. Ultimately, the goal is to grow in faith and character, trusting that God will provide the strength to endure or the direction to leave the past behind and move forward in His perfect plan. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Overcoming Domestic Violence

Overcoming domestic violence and abuse through Jesus Christ!