I am going to try to finish this topic today. There are several "enemies " of persistence that we could probably talk about. You can look back over your life and remember the goals that you failed to keep by not having the persistence needed to follow through. We each can, if we look back, usually identify why we gave up. Maybe our goal changed or our desire to meet that goal changed, which is not a bad thing. After thinking about it, what was the real reason that you could not persist in what you wanted to do? Only you can answer this and work on not letting the same thing ever destroy your persistence again.
Now, I would like to share an enemy of my own persistence and this may be one of yours, too. The name of this enemy is "Baggage From The Past". When I really want to accomplish a goal, I usually start that self talk of "you gave up before and this time is no different". Our failures from the past seem to always come up and, at least for me, have a tremendous power to weaken us.
Here is how I am working on dealing with this. When Debbie and I carried the kids to Disney World, about three years ago, we packed several bags with our clothes, shoes and everything we thought we would need while staying there. Upon arrival in our hotel room we unpacked our bags and put them away, which seems like a logical thing to do. We would looked silly carrying our bags with us each time we left the room. Can you imagine how tired you would be lugging those bags all day. We were exhausted not carrying anything .
When we carry our emotional baggage from the past day in and day out it will absolutely wear us out mentally. We do not even think about goals, persistence or anything else. All we want sometimes is just a few minutes of peace.( I would like to know. Is this only unique to me?)
Some times little things happen that can have a major impact on our thinking. Let me tell you one that has really helped me. A few days ago, as I walked through the office to the back room, at one of our computers sat Debbie with our 4 year old granddaughter, Anna Jewell, in her lap. They were doing something on the computer. As I was in the back I heard, in a loud voice, "MAMMAW!, MAMMAW!, MAMMAW! make it white!, make it white!" (You know, grand kids can be pretty loud and persistent when they want something) I walked back through and asked Debbie," what in the world is she wanting you to do?" She said, "she is typing on the computer and wants me to clear the typing off so she will have a white page to start fresh typing again". It hit me. I slowly walked back to my desk and sat down. My eyes teared up and I prayed "Heavenly Father!, Heavenly Father!, Heavenly Father!, please, make my page white." You all know what I was thinking. I cannot change mistakes and failures of the past but God can make the page white again to begin a new chapter in my life. That's it. A new chapter that can be filled with serving God and my fellow man. That alone gives me the courage to go on with all the persistence I need to accomplish whatever good works I want to seek. Maybe, just maybe, you want your page white too.
Living in a fallen world with bad news broadcast 24/7, the problems may seem like giants. But I want you to read I Sam. chapter 17. David was not afraid and knew that God would deliver him because He had done so on previous occasions. But the verse, using the NKJV, that really has an impact for me is in vs. 29. And David said, "What have I done now? Is there not a cause?"
Friend, is there not a cause? We need to persistently seek to do good. Get our page white. Let's all remember the song we used to sing, in VBS, "This Little Christian Light of Mine I Am Going to Let It Shine".
If we all shine together, the darkness we fear will be overcome.
I hope this encourages you and gets you to thinking. Please send this to a friend . Help someone today to "make their page white".
Please if you have any comments you can email me at rhepler@gmail.com
Thanks so much for your time. Have a good day.
Rick
