Still Standing, Even When Unsteady
 

“These are the days of our years—seventy years, or eighty if one is especially strong; but their pride is trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass by, and away we fly.” (Psalm 90:10)

“But the one who has endured to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)

“Therefore we do not give up. Even if our outer person is wasting away, surely our inner person is being renewed from day to day. For though the tribulation is momentary and light, it produces for us a glory that is of more and more surpassing weight and is everlasting. While we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18)

Time has a way of slipping past us without warning. One season turns into another, and before we know it, years are behind us. Psalm 90:10 has always felt honest to me. It does not exaggerate, and it does not soften things either. Life is brief, even when it is long. And much of it carries strain. Jehovah tells us that up front, not to discourage us, but to help us think clearly about what really matters.

Jesus’ words narrow the focus even more. He does not talk about strength, talent, or ease. He talks about endurance. Staying faithful when life presses in. Remaining loyal when answers are not immediate and relief is not quick. Endurance is rarely impressive to look at. Most days it feels quiet, even unnoticed. But it matters deeply to Jehovah.

That has become very real to me over the last few years. When vestibular neuritis entered my life, it changed how I move through the world. Balance became uncertain. Simple things—standing, walking, turning—began to require thought and caution. There was no dramatic moment where it left. It simply stayed. And with it came limits I did not choose.

I had to slow down. I had to adjust expectations. I had to accept that I would still serve Jehovah, still attend as much as possible, still care about others—just not in the same way or at the same pace. Some days, endurance meant showing up while feeling unsteady. Other days, it meant accepting what I could not do and trusting that Jehovah understood.

That is why Paul’s words at 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 carry so much weight for me. The outer person really can waste away. That is not weakness. It is reality. But at the same time—quietly, almost invisibly—the inner person can be renewed. Day by day. Not all at once. Not loudly. Just faithfully.

What if endurance is simply refusing to let hardship define our devotion?

What if Jehovah values steady loyalty more than visible strength?

What if what feels like limitation is actually refining our trust in Him?

The years do move quickly. Jehovah knows that better than anyone. And He sees every effort made under strain, every careful step taken while unsteady, every decision to remain faithful when life feels fragile. None of it is lost. None of it is forgotten.