I remember reading a book many years ago by Dr. Robert
Schuller titled “Tough times never last, but tough people do”. Many of
you may be familiar with this book? So
just exactly what was Dr. Schuller saying in his great best selling book? What was he trying to tell us? Given the current economic situation, this seemed an
interesting book to read or quote to tackle. It reminds us that the tough times
come and go. Even if things seem bleak today, in a few years it will likely be
very different. The quote then says that tough people do last. It implies that
the people who can weather the tough times are sufficiently tough to handle
just about anything. I can tell you my friends, I am battle tested and so is my
awesome family.
So for me, quitting is not an
option, and it should not be an option for you either. We must push through
these tough times; we must push through this pain, because at the end of it,
there is a rainbow with Gods wonderful plan for your life stapled to it. Yes, God
does have great plans for our life! We were created by God, in His image, for a
purpose. Just as God set apart from birth Isaiah 49:1, Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1:5 and Paul Galatians 1:15 for a
specific purpose, he also has a specific plan for your life. “‘For I know the
plans I have for you,’ declared the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope and a future’” Jeremiah 29:11. The Bible
says that God's will is “good, pleasing and perfect” Romans 12:2.
The Holy Bible
Together, the two parts of the
quote reminds us that while the difficulties are transient, people are durable.
By durable I mean that tough people can persevere, that you can persevere,
through anything that you might have to face. Why is perseverance important? When times get tough, you have to push
through, you have to press on. You must also realize that the end result may
not end up exactly as you have planned, however if you have turned your
worries, your woes, and your problems, over to the Lord, what ever they may be,
He will see you through it, and you will come out a better person for it. You
already have outlasted most of your childhood difficulties, the difficulties of
learning to walk, talk, feed yourself, dress yourself and so many others. If
you’ve ever known a person who is going through physical therapy to learn how
to walk again, or re-learn any other basic skill, you have a clue about how
tough it really is. If you haven’t, it is both gut wrenching and glorious at
the same time. Our lives are all about us
being ordinary people who do extraordinary things. How ever, there must be
pain in order for there to be any gain.
Perseverance is the ability to stick
with it despite the desire to let go. Some say it is the small voice deep
inside you that says “hang on” when the rest of you is screaming to give up. It
can be tough to hang on, but that’s what makes you a tough, or durable, person.
One who perseveres is one who doesn’t quit when things go against them, or when
the odds go from bad to worse. Where and
how can I apply this in my life? Perseverance in the face of
difficulties is a defining trait of humanity. While not all of us square off
against every difficulty in life, most of us are willing to face the challenges
that are important to us. I’m not talking about ‘bar room’ challenges, but the
truly difficult portions of our lives. God's will first and foremost, is that we
have a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be
saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” 1 Timothy 2:3-4.
Personally, I face difficulties
gladly for two reasons. The first reason is that I don’t usually have any
choice about facing the difficulty, so I’d rather do it gladly than reluctantly.
The other reason is I like to push to my most extreme limits. Whether it’s
learning new skills, reaching a new goal, or pushing my self to achieve a task
that most people would not ever attempt, I love the edge as this prepares me
for surviving a hardship; therefore I want to see what I’m made of.
He Carry's Me Through
Perseverance
Many times the advice of a parent, pastor, youth minister, Sunday School
teacher or other mature person is just what we need to hear to help us decide
what God wants us to do. “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man
listens to advice” Proverbs 12:15. “Plans fail for lack of
counsel, but with many advisors they succeed” Proverbs 15:22. The Bible says that there is a peace
that comes when we are pleasing God with our lives. When deciding between
two alternatives that you have been praying about, sometimes one of the options
will give you a greater peace. That option is probably God's will. “The fruit
of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness
and confidence forever” Isaiah
32:17. We should trust God in faith that He will
accomplish His will in our lives. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge him, and he
will make your paths straight” Proverbs
3:5-6. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in
your will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians
1:6. God has given each of us gifts and abilities to use
in His service. God always equips us to do what he calls us to do. If you
aren't gifted in a certain area, God is probably not calling you to minister in
that area. We learn in the books of Romans
12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and Ephesians
4:11-13 the lists of spiritual gifts and a discussion of them. Remember
that God's ultimate purpose for all of us is that He would be glorified 1 Corinthians 10:31 and that the gospel and God's
kingdom would be advanced Genesis
50:20 and Philippians 1:12.
We must Press on
The question of how to
persevere, in my mind, boils down to the question of how to keep a positive
attitude. For me, my attitude depends on what I focus on. I have found that if
I focus on the difficulty, my attitude tends to go down. I try to focus on the
good things that a-wait me, once the tough times are over. I know, it sounds so
easy, doesn’t it? But it actually is fairly easy, once you train yourself. I
would start small, and any time you get a task, chore or job that you really
don’t enjoy like taking out the trash or doing the dishes, practice
perseverance. Don’t set your attitude based on the task at hand, but on what
you can do after you complete it. If you have a whole list of chores, think of
what you’ll do after you’re done. Keep a positive attitude and the task becomes
less onerous. Keep the faith, keep a good attitude and keep working hard, and
you will persevere. Sometimes, your attitude is all you’ve got. Protect it!
Life is an opportunity, benefit from
it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is good, taste it. Life is a dream, realize
it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game,
play it. Life is love, enjoy it. Life is mystery, know it. Life is costly, care
for it. Life is wealth, keep it Life is a promise, fulfill it Life is a sorrow,
overcome it Life is a song, sing it Life is a struggle, accept it Life is a
tragedy, confront it Life is an adventure, dare it Life is chance, take it. Life
is precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it ~ Mother Theresa
We must push through the pain in our life, to find the plan for our life
these
are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he
opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds.
See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that
you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my
name. It’s important to also remember when we push that we must keep moving. Don’t
allow an empty result to stop or slow your stride. In Rev 3:7-8 you need to move on when you have settled for the way
things are. “See, I have placed before you an open door.” First we need Traditional Vision Matthew
15:3 then we need Timid Vision 2 Timothy 1:7 and last we need Tunnel
Vision John 4:34 you must move on when you grow tired of the same
struggle.
Do not
wrestle with something that is futile and going nowhere including relationships “You have
little strength yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Replenish
your strength Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 40:31; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Eph 3:16-17; Jude
20. Renew your strength 1 Samuel 30:1-6 and last Move on when you find yourself
stuck in a rut between where you are and where you want to be. Do get complacent
like standing water, keep moving, keep your self busy, and stay focused on the
prize at hand. God has made a way for all of us with “An
open door that no one can shut.” We learn of overcoming a problem in
Exodus 14:15 and claiming a promise in Deuteronomy 6:23 so no matter what you
are facing today, rather it is an illness, financial problems, loss of a job, a
divorce, a death, or a broken heart, you must find time to focus on you. God
can and will use you for His kingdom, and His glory, you must Push through the Pain
in your life, to find the Plan for our life ~ Donnie
Bolena
