Perseverance for Success

Admin Sat 06 Feb 2010, 2:21 pm

Perseverance for Success
By Os Hillman

December 7

"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so,
but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering
produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Rom.
5:2-4).
Perseverance is the key to every great accomplishment because
nothing of lasting value has ever been achieved without it. Industrialist
Henry Ford is one of the great success stories of American history, but he
failed in business five times before he succeeded. A Ford Motor Company
employee once asked his boss the secret of success, and Henry Ford replied,
"When you start a thing, don't quit until you finish it."
The path ahead of you is strewn with obstacles. People will
oppose you. There will be financial setbacks, time pressures, illnesses and
misfortunes. Some of the biggest obstacles will be inside of you:
self-doubt, insecurity, procrastination, and worry. You must give yourself
permission to succeed.
When we persevere through adversity, we win the approval of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who told the suffering church at Ephesus, "I know your
deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. . . . You have persevered and
have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary" (Rev. 2:2-3).
That, I'm sure, is the same commendation Joseph received from God when he
passed the perseverance test.
Perseverance is a refusal to quit. It's falling down 100 times
and getting back up 101 times. We need to remember that perseverance is not
a matter of forcing doors to open; it's standing in front of the doors as
long as it takes before God chooses to open them.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. The race doesn't go to the
swiftest, but to those who don't give up. We need endurance in order to deal
with the stress of adversity. We must maintain a balanced diet, exercise
regularly, and get plenty of rest. People give up or give out when they feel
depleted - when they physically, emotionally and spiritually run out of gas.
When going through adversity, watch out for pessimists, blamers
and toxic personalities. Beware of people who try to talk you out of your
dreams and goals. Spend time with optimists and encouragers. Seek out people
of faith.