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Endurance
To endure is “to suffer without resistance or yielding; to bear with patience, without opposition or sinking under the pressure.”–Oxford American Dictionary.
Endurance is “continuance in bearing or suffering; the fact or state of enduring stress, hardship, pain, or the like; a holding out under adverse force or influence of any kind: Ability to endure; power of bearing or suffering without giving way; capacity for continuance under stress, hardship, or infliction.”–Century Dictionary. Synonyms for endurance include abidance, ceaselessness, continuity, durability, persistence, subsistence.–Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
“Endure beyond the point where the world can affect you.”–Edna Lister
Endurance is a character alloy of physical strength, mental stamina, and spiritual tenacity. Endurance is an abstract principle rooted in the absolute principle of Power, a law of being, a virtue, a faculty and a Via Christa Degree.
Edna Lister on Endurance
For great service, God chooses the embodied soul in whom there is strength to endure.–Edna Lister, This One Thing I Do, February 12, 1933.
To endure, "as seeing the invisible, as seeing Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27), is the Mystic Way. Thousands seek the Invisible and never find, for it reveals itself only to the earnest enduring one. To endure means to suffer gladly all sorts of punishment to become strong. Voice your prayer, lift your eyes in high vision, and praise, praise, praise during an endurance test!–Edna Lister, The Single Vision, January 30, 1935.
Be of stout heart to bear, to endure, to trust, and to know all is well now.–Edna Lister, August 17, 1937.
Only what is just or true shall last. Only what is pure and selfless shall endure.–Edna Lister, July 15, 1938.
Endure in love and always sacrifice self for soul.–Edna Lister, October 12, 1938.
Only great love endures.–Edna Lister, January 22, 1939.
Stay in the Light, for only by much sacrifice of self and eternal oblation before God can one endure in the Way.–Edna Lister, April 5, 1939.
Your endurance must be very great when you accept high ideals and Power. Light shall try you for weaknesses and soft spots of self in the soul. Lend yourself to be cleansed, and be prepared for much less praise and much more contumely.–Edna Lister, November 22, 1939.
Faith is unending and all-enduring.–Edna Lister, November 30, 1939.
Only Light which is truth, and truth which is Light shall endure. All else shall fall of its own weight.–Edna Lister, June 26, 1940.
Endurance is the ability to stand until God has a chance to set things right.–Edna Lister, November 7, 1940.
A strong desire means a soul strongly entrenched in a strongly ascended body ready to stand and endure all things for the Master’s sake, asking nothing for the self.–Edna Lister, November 13, 1944.
Soul greatness consists in your ability to stand the supreme test of endurance.–Edna Lister, July 21, 1945.
You endure repeated agonies until you outgrow the appetitive soul’s creature urges.–Edna Lister, To Seek the Light, June 10, 1951.
You endure more suffering through regression than by paying your debts and ascending.–Edna Lister, November 1, 1954.
When you are pestered beyond endurance, lift the pestiferous one high and call on fire from heaven.–Edna Lister, Heavenly Manna, August 14, 1955.
All that you need is to endure, as love.–Edna Lister, September 8, 1958.
“Longsuffering” means you are able to endure, to apply law until it becomes an unconscious soul quality. You can call longsuffering “patience,” which is endurance in strength.–Edna Lister, Idealization, May 10, 1959.
Lack of endurance is a term you use when the physical intake doesn’t equal physical outgo, but you can also apply to the mental and emotional life. Some have no endurance, yet no one goes very far without it. Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12 Steps build endurance.–Edna Lister, Your Full Birthright, December 6, 1959.
You develop more endurance when you discipline yourself to return to complete an unfinished task.–Edna Lister, Your Full Birthright, December 6, 1959.
Endurance’s twin is acceptance. Acceptance of life’s difficulties in joy is the only way to endure in peace. Jesus didn’t whine when the world gave him the cross, but joyfully accepted it.–Edna Lister, Your Full Birthright, December 6, 1959.
Life is generally an endurance race. To endure means to stand as love. Complying with the law of endurance is believing that Power works through you, and acting as the Master would act.–Edna Lister, Without Shadow of Turning, June 18, 1961.
You must endure pain and declare it perfect in joy with an uplifted look and heart.–Edna Lister, August 27, 1961.
True Love counts no effort too great or too small, and no task too hard or too long. What would more words mean after that? Yet you say, “I can’t take anymore. I’ve had it.” You can always take it one day longer than the person or situation on the outside can dish it out. Vow to God that you will welcome the new step.–Edna Lister, October 15, 1961.
You gain endurance and fortitude, or end in weakness and self-pity!–Edna Lister, February 24, 1962.
Each temptation is a test for fear, doubt and endurance.–Edna Lister, May 15, 1962.
Draw upon the Shekinah glory for the strength to win through endurance.–Edna Lister, March 1963.
Gird up your loins to endure and suddenly nothing shall be there to endure.–Edna Lister, April 21, 1963.
Endure beyond the point where the world can affect you.–Edna Lister, April 21, 1963.
Ask for anything in the Master’s name, and endure every temptation until you have it.–Edna Lister, August 15, 1963.
Endure life in joy, without self-pity.–Edna Lister, December 1, 1963.
The ability to endure leads to conquering.–Edna Lister, January 28, 1965.
View confrontations as endurance tests to see if you can remain in the Christ Light and lift.–Edna Lister, June 25, 1965.
The ship of endurance is the only vehicle to carry you from the physical outer coarseness, and the only invocation for release is, “This is good! Let there be Light!”–Edna Lister, November 4, 1965.
To be able to stand and to endure is one of the greatest of all virtues. Endurance is a soul quality that Jesus exemplified during the Crucifixion. To endure means "to hold out, to last, to remain firm, to suffer patiently." To endure, you ignore all pain, etc., without denying or accepting it, without admitting that you are experiencing it. What you ignore shrivels up and dies from lack of nourishment. Thus, your faith functions as endurance, enabling you to stand unwaveringly.
The relative laws of nonresistance also operate under faith as a principle. Nonresistance then becomes a soul virtue, to stand on God’s principle, immoveable. Under nonresistance, you find the laws of endurance, whose virtue is to hold. The greatest soul virtues are to stand, to endure and to hold out long enough for God to work all things together for good. All these virtues point to one ability, to ignore the less good and to dwell upon what you do desire.
James knew the secret: "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."–James 1:2-3. Temptation is an opportunity to prove your faith. Your ability to endure is patience in action.–Edna Lister, Am I Strong to Endure? December 18, 1966.
The greater the ideas behind the standing, enduring, and holding, the greater the soul gifts.–Edna Lister, January 1, 1967.
You must stand, hold, endure and give beyond giving, wherever you are.–Edna Lister, March 19, 1967.
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."–Philippians 4:7. The peace of God that passes all understanding is standing and enduring in joy.–Edna Lister, June 5, 1967.
Is your prayer mold strong to endure?–Edna Lister, January 12, 1968.
No matter what, you must start at the bottom by climbing, enduring, standing, holding, applying what you know of the practical to what God gives you, never losing sight of the vision, and enduring while you wait upon the Lord.–Edna Lister, August 9, 1968.
Nothing is too hard to endure, no task too hard or too great to accomplish.–Edna Lister, May 7, 1969.
To endure is to see no evil except to call it good.–Edna Lister, August 7, 1969.
Endure and declare to your body, "I am lifting you above earth." You shall be held.–Edna Lister, May 22, 1967.
Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.–Matthew 10:14.
He that endureth to the end shall be saved.–Matthew 10:22.
With God all things are possible.–Matthew 19:26.
Be not afraid, only believe.–Mark 6:4.
With God nothing shall be impossible.–Luke 1:37.
Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.–Luke 18:1.
In your patience possess ye your souls.–Luke 21:19.
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.–John 6:27.
We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.–Romans 5:3-4.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.–1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Christ said: My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.–2 Corinthians 12:9.
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.–Ephesians 4:1-3.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.–Ephesians 6:11.
Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.–Ephesians 6:13.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.–Philippians 3:13-14.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.–Philippians 4:13.
When God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.–Hebrews 6:13-15.
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.–Hebrews 10:35-36.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons.–Hebrews 12:7.
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.–James 1:2-4.
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.–James 1:12.
Behold, we count them happy which endure.–James 5:11.
For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.–1 Peter 2:19-21.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever.–Psalm 19:9.
The goodness of God endureth continually.–Psalm 52:1.
The glory of the Lord shall endure forever.–Psalm 104:31.
The truth of the Lord endureth for ever.–Psalm 117:2.
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Edna Miriam Lister
1884–1971
The original Pioneering Mystic,
Christian Platonist Philosopher, American Idealist, Founder, Society of the Universal Living Christ, minister, teacher, author, friend, wife, and mother.
Etymology of endure: Latin indurare, to make hard.
Endurance is an abstract principle.
Endurance is a law of being.
Endurance is a soul faculty.
Endurance is a Via Christa Degree.
Works Cited
Century Dictionary. Wm. D. Whitney and B.E. Smith, eds. and compilers. New York: The Century Co., 1896.
Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, 2024.
The Holy Bible. King James Version (KJV).
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2024
The Oxford American Dictionary: New York: Oxford University Press, 1980. ISBN 0-19-502795-7
Related Topics
Fortitude
Patience<
Perseverance
