PERSEVERANCE FINISHES THE JOB

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV)

The word perseverance literally means “to bear up under.” It describes someone who remains steadfast in the face of severe trials, obstacles, and suffering. Perseverance is a never-give-up attitude, a commitment to move forward when everything is conspiring to hold you back. No matter what happens, you finish the job. Think of the English word itself: persevere. The prefix per conveys the idea of “through,” so perseverance is the ability to go through a severe time.

Perseverance turns ordeals into opportunities. It gives us the opportunity to finish what we begin, to outlast pain and sorrow, to strive until we accomplish things that are difficult, and to demonstrate God’s grace in all the seasons of life.

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith”

#5919

RESPONDING TO OBSTACLES

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take [this thorn in the flesh] away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NIV)

When Paul ran into a brick wall, he did not quit. Instead, he began to look at his obstacle from God’s point of view. Paul saw his immovable roadblock as a motivation to trust God rather than to depend on his own abilities.

All of us will face some unchangeable life circumstances that will appear to hinder our achieving our goals. We have two choices in how to respond to such obstacles. We can give up. Or, we can choose to view those problems as brilliantly disguised opportunities to trust God.  

-- Robert Jeffress in “Choose Your Attitude, Change Your Life”

#5911

CHRIST-CENTEREDNESS

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”  (Colossians 2:8 ESV)

Our journey toward balance and centeredness is a lifelong journey. While we may join others as we travel, and while fellow travelers may provide valuable support, our journey will belong to us and will be unlike any other person's. 

We will encounter obstacles, both from within ourselves and from the outside world. We will face forces that hinder our growth and seek to mold us into images that do not fit. 

But if we work to discover who we are, if we desire to come into relationship with God with our authentic selves, we can then find and live from Christ, our center. 

-- Kimberly Dunnam Reisman in “The Christ-Centered Woman” 

#5371

BEAUTY OUT OF ASHES

The opening words of Isaiah 61 promise that God will bring beauty into broken lives.  He will give beauty in exchange for ashes. God will do this, the prophet tells us, that these very people might be called trees of righteousness, "a planting of the Lord" for His glory.

Those are comforting words for those pressed with limitations, those who know a daily struggle with profound personal obstacles.  I know people like this.  Broken men and women who have been given beauty for ashes; radiant believers who heighten God's reputation in a cynical world.

At a recent concert I watched members of a deaf choir stand up front to "sign" as the worship choir sang.  The faces of those who were signing the words beamed with joy.  You could tell they really believed the words of those hymns, even though they couldn't hear the sounds or the phrasing or the music. I tried to be cool and not cry.  But I just couldn't stop the flow of tears.  I was deeply moved.

Sometime later I felt the same surge of emotion when I listened to the testimony of a man named David Ring.  David is severely disabled with cerebral palsy and you have to listen intently to catch what he's saying.  But in a thick, guttural voice, he spoke of the priority of giving thanks.  His thoughts were threaded with Scripture, saturated with peace and joy. Once again, my tears fell freely.  Nor did I feel foolish or ashamed for crying.

Later on, however, I asked myself why I'd been so moved.  I genuinely examined my motive.  Was it pity?  Was I simply feeling sorry for those people because of their disabilities? No, I don't think so.  I think I was responding to Isaiah's theme… it was the beauty.  It was the lovely character, a right response, a solid witness, all born out of brokenness.  Out of what could have been bitter ashes, God gave these people something more.  They had become the planting of the Lord "for His splendor."

So the next time you find yourself deeply moved by the joyful perseverance of a Christian with a disability, thank the Lord for the grace that brings beauty out of ashes.

-- Joni Earkeckson Tada in “Glorious Intruder”

#5113

RESURRECTION POWER

“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection…”  (Philippians 3:10a NRSV)

The benefits [of the resurrection] are innumerable. To list a few: Our illnesses don't seem nearly so final; Our fears fade and lose their grip; Our grief over those who have gone on is diminished; Our desires to press on in spite of the obstacles is rejuvenated... Our identity as Christians is strengthened as we stand in the lengthening shadows of saints down through the centuries, who have always answered back in antiphonal voice: 'He is risen, indeed!'

-- Charles R. Swindoll

#4323

FACING IMMOVABLE MOUNTAINS

Jesus told them, "I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."  (Matthew 17:20 NLT)

If you are facing a problem that seems as big and immovable as a mountain, turn your eyes from the mountain and look to Christ for more faith. Only then will you be able to overcome the obstacles that may stand in your way.

-- Life Application Bible


#4191

ABOUT TO BEGIN

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin -- real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

-- Fr. Alfred D'Souza


#3386

ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

Goals are a means to an end, not the ultimate purpose of our lives. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction. The only reason we really pursue goals is to cause ourselves to expand and grow. Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it's who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfillment.

-- Tony Robbins


#3137

STEADFAST ENDURANCE

“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. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”  (Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT)

The word is hupomone, which does not mean the [patient endurance] which sits down and accepts things but the [patient endurance] which masters them.  It is not some romantic thing, which lends us wings to fly over the difficulties and the hard places.  It is the determination, unhurrying and yet undelaying, which goes steadily on and refuses to be deflected.  Obstacles do not daunt it and discouragements do not take its hope away.  It is the steadfast endurance which carries on until in the end it gets there. 

-- William Barclay in The Letter to the Hebrews


#3043

STRUGGLING TO FLY

One day a small opening appeared on a cocoon; a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly, he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly.

-- Unknown


#2516