Perseverance Wins the Race!

Quote:

“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength but by perseverance.”

~H. Jackson Brown

Scripture:

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

~James 1:12

Perspective:

Perseverance is the refusal to give up despite difficulty or delay; it is determination in working hard to get something done without quitting, regardless of the odds or obstacles.  It is something you must not only choose to do, but also choose to stick with, recommit to daily.  In life, there will be people smarter and more talented than us and those we are smarter and more talented than, but only some will persist despite the challenges they face.  Those with undying determination are the ones who will achieve their goals, both big and small, in all areas of their life.  Trials are guaranteed in life, they are guaranteed in the Bible; it is up to each of us what we will do during those trials, how we will handle each trial we are faced with.

There is a silver lining in every cloud!  There are ways we can grow through any trial and so, ways our life can improve despite the trials we will inevitably face.  If something bad happens to us, it will have occurred in vain if there is no gain.  Get in the habit of asking yourself what you can learn from any hardship you find yourself in.  They are not fun, not everything in life is, but choose not to waste the ones you face.  Seek the growth and development that can come from each; you find in life what you seek daily.  If you look for the negativity in all you go through, then that is exactly what you will find.  During one of the most difficult times in my life, our financial crisis of 2016-17, I grew more than ever before.  After digging my heels in and fighting it, I fully surrendered to God’s will like I had never done before.  Doing so did not make it easy but it did make it possible and created positive changes internally, it allowed me to see God’s hand at work in my life, it gave purpose to my pain.

Perseverance is a primary theme throughout the Bible, one we see over and over.  God asks us to persevere in our faith despite what life throws at us; if our heart has truly been converted and we believe Him and His promises with all our heart, then our faith will endure AND grow stronger.  Think about the parable of the soils…it is the strongest most grounded seedlings (believers) that endure life’s hardships…Job is an excellent example of this type of faith.  True saving faith results in a changed life; our faith may falter, and we may feel angry with God and even question Him at times, but it will not fail permanently.  Think about Peter, his fear caused him to deny Jesus, but not for long.  Our perseverance does not come from self-sufficiency or our own strength but rather from God’s strength, from the Holy Spirit that lives in and works through us.  I have noticed that the stronger my faith grows, the less I am able to be mad at God.  This is because I trust Him completely and I know I will have hardships to endure that have nothing to do with God’s love for me, in fact they are because of His love for me and ultimately they will be used for my good and His glory!

God prepares us to endure life’s trials through prayer, reading His Word, and gathering with other believers.  Through these actions we must choose to take, we learn that there will be trials in life, that we have a cross to bear just as Jesus did.  When we are faced with obstacles we should not be surprised and act as if we are being punished, but rather persevere and grow through each and every hardship.  Trials are meant to strengthen us and make us more like Jesus.  Our gift is eternal glory with Him.  Jesus is the perfect example of perseverance.  He did not strike back when He was forced to suffer time and time again, not even during the extreme suffering He withstood during the crucifixion.  He did it to save us.  Through His strength we can fight the good fight and keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).

The Bible says our faith is more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7).  For gold to be refined it must be heated up to its boiling point of 5,378 degrees Fahrenheit; it is not refined from a comfortable warmth.  Our trials are meant to refine us in the same way extreme heat refines gold, they are opportunities, although difficult, for us to persevere through challenges and build character, to become more like Jesus, which is not an easy task.  When we face adversities of any kind, we must decide if we are going to stretch ourselves and learn from them or avoid them as much as possible and when forced to confront them, become bitter and feel punished by life.  We learn lessons in life through trials, through what we do when faced with adversity.  The path to Jesus is the narrow, less traveled path, it is the tougher of the two paths but well worth the double black diamond hike! 

Life Application:

>Reflect on and journal about the biggest trials you have faced throughout your life thus far. 

Then really give thought to how you handled each adversity.  What could you have done differently in order to grow through each of your primary challenges?

What is the silver lining in each of your trials?

My Example: My mom and oldest brother died within a month of each other in late 2011.  There is nothing positive about those losses, however, because of them, in January 2012, I recommitted my life to Christ and was born again.  The learning, growth, and change that has happened since doing so is very positive, despite the challenges I have had to overcome.