Perseverance
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)
I read a story recently about a family who decided to purchase two Irish-setter dogs. The husband was a sportsman and wanted to train the dogs to assist him in fulfilling his passion, which was duck hunting. The dogs trained easily and soon became top notch bird dogs as well as beloved members of the family. When the pair of canines weren’t in the swamp helping dad bag ducks, they spent most of their time in the fenced-in backyard behind the house. One morning an ornery, little, vicious looking bulldog came shuffling and snorting down the alley. He was small enough to crawl under a loose board in the fence and work his way into the family’s backyard where the setters were enjoying a morning sun bath. Why the bulldog wanted to get into that particular yard was anybody’s guess. The setters noticed the trespasser immediately and spring into action to defend their territory. The man immediately went out to take his setters into the basement so they wouldn’t tear the little bulldog to pieces. But they were already involved in an all-out scuffle before he could reach them. As soon as he pulled two of the dogs apart, the other two would go at it. Went he went over to pull those two apart, the first two got at again. It was a conflagration of barking, snarls, growling, teeth and claws that would put fear into the heart of anyone. The bulldog went round and round and round with the pair until finally he had enough. Finally he scurried back over to the fence, squeezed under it and took off. After receiving such a beating, there was little he could do the rest of that day besides whine and lick his sores. Thinking that the bulldog had learned his lesson, the guy thought he wouldn’t have to worry about him any longer. Interestingly though, the very next day at about the same time, that same ornery little bulldog was back under the fence and after those two setters. Once again, instant chaos. Before the guy could even get outside, the two bird dogs were intent on teaching this intruder another painful lesson on the sanctity of their backyard. And once again they beat the stuffing out of that little bowlegged animal and would have chewed him up entirely if he hadn’t retreated back under the fence. Would you believe the very next day he was back again! Same time, same whooping, same results. After he had all he could take, he crawled back under the fence and found his way home to lick his wounds.
The man had to leave home on a business trip while this daily routine was being repeated. He returned after being gone for several days and asked his wife what had been happening with the daily “smack-down” in the backyard. She said, “You wouldn’t believe it. Every day, at just about the same time, that little bulldog came back and wanted to fight with our two setters. He didn’t miss a day! And I want you to know it has come to the point that when our setters simply hear that little bulldog snorting down the alley and spot him squeezing under the fence, they immediately start whining and run down into our basement. That little bulldog struts around our backyard now just like he owns it.” Now that’s the power of perseverance!
We live in an age of unprecedented acceleration. We can get our packages delivered overnight, our eyeglasses made in an hour, our film developed in minutes, and our food heated in seconds. Whether it involves ATM machines, microwave ovens, the waitress at the restaurant, or the speed of our internet connection – we want our desires met instantly. Instant gratification is the driving motivation behind most of the technological advances during our generation. We are a culture totally intolerant of anything that brings delay.
This explains why the Biblical virtue of perseverance is so rare today. Because perseverance runs directly opposite to this mindset. Perseverance takes a long-term perspective. It focuses on the future, rather than the immediate present. Perseverance is patient. It keeps waiting, and believing and trusting, even when things take longer than expected. It keeps working, and seeking and striving, even when things turn out to be more difficult than anticipated. It remains faithful, even when there are ample opportunities to throw in the towel, to give up and move on. Perseverance means sticking with something for as long as God calls you to do so, no matter how long it takes, no matter how difficult or painful it becomes, no matter how many discouragements and disappointments and obstacles you encounter along the way. Perseverance is a quality taught by God because it is synonymous with patience, one of the fruits the Holy Spirit desires to produce in our lives.
The Bible tells us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” If we continue in following Christ, we will reap a harvest. We will find his grace and mercy to be sufficient. We will find his rewards to be worth all the suffering, and sacrifice, and labor, and tears. But we must not become weary and turn aside from following Him, or else we will never see the harvest he has planned. Harvesting does not come about instantly. A farmer doesn’t plant seeds one day and go out to the fields to harvest the next. He has to persevere through the planting, the cultivating, the watering and then comes the harvest.
Understand the nature of perseverance. Perseverance is not easy. It means going through difficult moments. No one talks about “persevering” through a hot fudge Sundae. Sports fans don’t need “perseverance” to make it through their favorite sporting event. We don’t need God’s grace to “persevere” in the things we enjoy. The Bible exhorts us to persevere because God knows there will be times we want to quit. Perseverance implies difficulty. But it’s difficulty with a purpose, and that purpose is godly character, and hope, and joy that will come about at harvest time – but that comes according to God’s timetable, not ours.
In whatever the Lord is asking you to persevere – bite into it like a bulldog and don’t let go. But know this – You don’t fight the battle alone nor is the ultimate victory your responsibility. Jesus has already won the battle for us. We just need to walk by faith, keep on believing and press on.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
I read a story recently about a family who decided to purchase two Irish-setter dogs. The husband was a sportsman and wanted to train the dogs to assist him in fulfilling his passion, which was duck hunting. The dogs trained easily and soon became top notch bird dogs as well as beloved members of the family. When the pair of canines weren’t in the swamp helping dad bag ducks, they spent most of their time in the fenced-in backyard behind the house. One morning an ornery, little, vicious looking bulldog came shuffling and snorting down the alley. He was small enough to crawl under a loose board in the fence and work his way into the family’s backyard where the setters were enjoying a morning sun bath. Why the bulldog wanted to get into that particular yard was anybody’s guess. The setters noticed the trespasser immediately and spring into action to defend their territory. The man immediately went out to take his setters into the basement so they wouldn’t tear the little bulldog to pieces. But they were already involved in an all-out scuffle before he could reach them. As soon as he pulled two of the dogs apart, the other two would go at it. Went he went over to pull those two apart, the first two got at again. It was a conflagration of barking, snarls, growling, teeth and claws that would put fear into the heart of anyone. The bulldog went round and round and round with the pair until finally he had enough. Finally he scurried back over to the fence, squeezed under it and took off. After receiving such a beating, there was little he could do the rest of that day besides whine and lick his sores. Thinking that the bulldog had learned his lesson, the guy thought he wouldn’t have to worry about him any longer. Interestingly though, the very next day at about the same time, that same ornery little bulldog was back under the fence and after those two setters. Once again, instant chaos. Before the guy could even get outside, the two bird dogs were intent on teaching this intruder another painful lesson on the sanctity of their backyard. And once again they beat the stuffing out of that little bowlegged animal and would have chewed him up entirely if he hadn’t retreated back under the fence. Would you believe the very next day he was back again! Same time, same whooping, same results. After he had all he could take, he crawled back under the fence and found his way home to lick his wounds.
The man had to leave home on a business trip while this daily routine was being repeated. He returned after being gone for several days and asked his wife what had been happening with the daily “smack-down” in the backyard. She said, “You wouldn’t believe it. Every day, at just about the same time, that little bulldog came back and wanted to fight with our two setters. He didn’t miss a day! And I want you to know it has come to the point that when our setters simply hear that little bulldog snorting down the alley and spot him squeezing under the fence, they immediately start whining and run down into our basement. That little bulldog struts around our backyard now just like he owns it.” Now that’s the power of perseverance!
We live in an age of unprecedented acceleration. We can get our packages delivered overnight, our eyeglasses made in an hour, our film developed in minutes, and our food heated in seconds. Whether it involves ATM machines, microwave ovens, the waitress at the restaurant, or the speed of our internet connection – we want our desires met instantly. Instant gratification is the driving motivation behind most of the technological advances during our generation. We are a culture totally intolerant of anything that brings delay.
This explains why the Biblical virtue of perseverance is so rare today. Because perseverance runs directly opposite to this mindset. Perseverance takes a long-term perspective. It focuses on the future, rather than the immediate present. Perseverance is patient. It keeps waiting, and believing and trusting, even when things take longer than expected. It keeps working, and seeking and striving, even when things turn out to be more difficult than anticipated. It remains faithful, even when there are ample opportunities to throw in the towel, to give up and move on. Perseverance means sticking with something for as long as God calls you to do so, no matter how long it takes, no matter how difficult or painful it becomes, no matter how many discouragements and disappointments and obstacles you encounter along the way. Perseverance is a quality taught by God because it is synonymous with patience, one of the fruits the Holy Spirit desires to produce in our lives.
The Bible tells us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” If we continue in following Christ, we will reap a harvest. We will find his grace and mercy to be sufficient. We will find his rewards to be worth all the suffering, and sacrifice, and labor, and tears. But we must not become weary and turn aside from following Him, or else we will never see the harvest he has planned. Harvesting does not come about instantly. A farmer doesn’t plant seeds one day and go out to the fields to harvest the next. He has to persevere through the planting, the cultivating, the watering and then comes the harvest.
Understand the nature of perseverance. Perseverance is not easy. It means going through difficult moments. No one talks about “persevering” through a hot fudge Sundae. Sports fans don’t need “perseverance” to make it through their favorite sporting event. We don’t need God’s grace to “persevere” in the things we enjoy. The Bible exhorts us to persevere because God knows there will be times we want to quit. Perseverance implies difficulty. But it’s difficulty with a purpose, and that purpose is godly character, and hope, and joy that will come about at harvest time – but that comes according to God’s timetable, not ours.
In whatever the Lord is asking you to persevere – bite into it like a bulldog and don’t let go. But know this – You don’t fight the battle alone nor is the ultimate victory your responsibility. Jesus has already won the battle for us. We just need to walk by faith, keep on believing and press on.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 12:25 PM
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