11/01/2007: "Persistence"

A couple of years ago when I had graduated from high school, I was given a twenty dollar certificate for a Christian book store. I thought it was pretty cool in the sense that I would finally own a bible that wasn't secondhand, something that had belonged to me and only me. It's hard to understand why something like that would be so important but I had grown up with six brothers and sisters and my family could never afford "new". Even being the oldest of six siblings did not guarantee anything new for me.

At the same time, my dad was renewing himself in the faith. He needed a book to help him study the word. Long story short, I had spent the certificate along with some of my own money I had saved buying my dad a new study bible. Though I knew that it meant I'd have to stick to reading and borrowing other people's bibles, I realized that my own needs were not important. It's very hard to put someone else's needs before your own but it's a rewarding experience.

Last year, I found myself wanting to read more and needing another bible. The same book I had given my dad those many years ago, he handed back to me in perfect condition. For some reason, it felt like a present to me from the old me.

There are many circumstances nowadays that have people questioning who they are in the grand scheme of things or what their role is in life, whether just finding their place among others or as a Christian. A couple of questions you may ask yourself is what is truly important? And what is truly precious? What is worth protecting? Once you've made that decision, you make a commitment to this choice. Is this commitment something that you will accomplish within the next couple of weeks or is this a life long goal? One of the hardest parts about maintaining any type of goal is persistence. Persistence means perseverance, endurance.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."
-- Alcoholics Anonymous prayer.

More recently in my life, I'm finding that I'm letting myself fall prey to anger, bouts of rage. There's never an excuse to allow anger or any other strong emotion to control oneself. In Colossians 4:2, we're reminded by Paul to devote ourselves in prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Now, in the long term goal of maintaining a Christian life is to not only act Christlike but to maintain in that lifestyle. So often, I hear and have experienced the company of Sunday Christians and I must say it annoys me to no end. A Sunday Christian is a person who is a Christian only on Sundays and then does whatever they feel like the other six days of the week. Then again, I find myself suffering from the same behavior of a Sunday Christian. We're all guilty of such at one time or another. Persistence is a hard skill to master but a worthwhile one indeed.

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
-- 1 Corinthians 9:25-27.

What is truly important and what is truly precious to you? What will you choose to fight for in this brief and passing life? Make a decision and practice persistence in accomplishing your goal. When fighting to make Christ number one in your life, remember that it isn't enough just to let him in your heart. Each day is full of new experiences for those who are experienced, like Paul, and those who are like babes in the Christian faith. Seek Christ persistently and fight for those choices you make in your life. Keep your faith strong through persistence, through endurance. With persistence, value is given to those important choices in life.