Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Perseverance - Sticking with something no matter what

Webster's defines Perseverance as "Persistence in any thing undertaken; continued pursuit or prosecution of any business or enterprise begun; applied alike to good or evil."



The more I go through life, and the longer I walk with Christ, the more I see we must persevere - persist, continue, stick at, keep with - the things God brings across our path. This is not to "be saved" so much as it is to earn a place of honour with Christ, but it is still essential to our walk.




I work in an industry where I have to stick at the job, particularly when it becomes unpleasant, because that's how it works in financial services. To quit would be the easy way out. In ancient Sparta, they had a proverb for warriors going into battle - come back WITH your shield or ON it. The first part of the saying, "with your shield" was a reference to those men who would discard their heavy brass shield to speed their flight from battle as they turned tail and ran away. The second part, "on it," was what happened if you failed to win, but were honourable enough not to run away - they carried you back ON your shield because you were either to injured to walk or you were dead - and both were held to be great marks of honour. The only alternative that brought dishonour was cowardice.




A great example of "sticking at it" was Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve men who went into the promised land to spy it out ahead of time. Ten of the twelve gave reports that brought fear to the house of Israel. They reported giants in the land, and terrible death for anyone that should try to overcome them. Caleb and Joshua gave different reports. They told of the giants in the land and of the dangers, but they also said "we are well able to overcome them" to the story they told. Consequently, they were the only two of the twelve to enter into the promised land (Numbers 14:38). So what was different about them?




I believe it was their perspective - the persevered because they believed the promises of God. Brothers and sisters, God has promised every one of us that he will complete the good work he has begun in us (Phillipians 1:6). He will make us to be what the scriptures call "perfect," even as He is perfect. For those of you that believe in Him, He will do it. For those of you that do not believe it, the Lord Jesus graciously extends you this opportunity to believe Him for what He has promised - Life, and that more abundantly. (If you want to know more, please message me.)




Let us gain that required heavenly perspective that will allow us to persevere by walking with him. We do this by holding to the basic tenets that all of the very first group of Christians did - by continuing steadfastly in the apostles' teaching, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread (worship), and in prayer. For "faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." (1 Thessalonians 5:24)




Gerry Brinkman
The Christian Disciple

Global Scope Ministries


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"You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
-John 8:32 (NASB)

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