Perseverance and Faith

DEVOTION
2 THESSALONIANS
PERSEVERANCE AND FAITH
2 Thess 1:4
4 Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
NIV

Although I really am not enduring much in the way of persecution and trials I wonder if anyone can boast about my perseverance and faith. Yet, at times I do think I have been thought of by some of my acquaintances, especially the liberal ones, as being foolish to believe as I do. To actually believe the Bible was inspired by God is really a fools thought to them. Then to believe Jesus actually rose from the dead and ascended into heaven physically is just way to naïve on my part. I think I even get a little persecution from the body of believers. When I fail, or fall short, I am told so, and reminded that I come across as being so spiritual, or that I do daily devotions and yet I am not perfect. So I suppose in some sense that is a form of persecution. I also think I have over the years gone through times I could count as a trial or pressures on my life. There have been times of very difficult situations when it may have been easy to just give up. So I guess I could say I have had the perseverance, the patience to wade through all of those things and continue to hold fast to my faith in God and in my salvation through Jesus Christ. I am not sure how many people even know about those events in my life in order to boast about how I have held on and continued to trust God no matter what the circumstances I found myself in. I surely know not a single one of those non believers could ever convince me I was foolish in my faith. But those trails, those moments which exerted pressure on me, those times were hard to believe God was in charge. I have had dry times, when I felt God was so far away. My mind said just continue to go through the motions, don’t quit, don’t give in or up, keep going and as sure as God is God, he was able to break through my dryness and encourage me on. I don’t know what I would do without him. So why do others not boast about my perseverance and faith? Are they jealous? Do they think they have more faith or are better than me? Are they just as troubled as I am? Are they going through the same or more trials and persecutions as I have and am? I suppose I should be boasting about their perseverance and faith.