2 Timothy 2:4-5 No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier's aim is to please the enlisting officer. And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. Think about the word perseverance. That word, according to Webster's Dictionary means: to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counter-influences, opposition or discouragement."
In essence the word perseverance means persistence. (To take a stand, stand firm, to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of opposition, importunity or warning.)
I think about the scene in "Facing the Giants" where the coach asks the captain of his football team, Brock, to do the death crawl on the field. Brock had resigned himself to losing the next football match, so the coach wanted to show him that he can actually triumph in "facing the giants" if he only kept going and doing his best.He made Brock crawl blindfolded across the field with a teammate on his back. There are times when Brock wanted to rest or stop, but the coach kept up a stream of positive talk and encouragement until Brock reached the end.
When Brock realized he had actually crossed the entire field, his self-concept and his belief about his team changed forever. He had faced his giants and defeated them
Too many people, often quite gifted, accomplish much less than they otherwise could have accomplished simply because they give up, buckle under, can't stand the pressure.
- Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
- Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
- Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
- Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. Who do you think wrote those words? They were written by President Calvin Coolidge.
It actually is a profound observation, underlining the importance of persistence, of perseverance.
Apostle Paul calls us to persistence and perseverance, but adds a dimension that protects you and me from falling into the deep chasm of discouragement when our own best human efforts fall short. Paul writes to Timothy, "You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus . . ." (2 Timothy 2:1).
This is what makes all the difference. You and I are called to perseverance, but not that lonely perseverance of one trying to "keep on keeping on" when keeping on no longer makes any sense from a human perspective. This is a call to a life bathed in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, in which we are motivated by that which goes beyond ourselves to be all God would have us be as we persist, as we persevere as followers of Jesus, empowered by His Holy Spirit.
A life lived without perseverance is a life that tries to exist by mobilizing what natural talents one happens to have, forgetting that some of the most gifted people in the world are failures because they give up when the going gets tough. In fact, some of them have so much talent, genius and education that they never find their focus. I'm reminded of the saying I heard, "a oak tree is really a nut that held it's ground!"
