Keep Going-The Art of Perseverance
The following is from the Joseph M Marshall, III's book, "Keep Going: The Art of Perseverance," page 34:
"Though you fall many times, you rise again and again, stronger and more balanced each time. You are determined so failures do not deter you, and successes only strength you. You are encouraged to keep trying. But though life beckons it is not a sign that it will always look on you in favor. It beckons because you must make your journey, and you soon learn that in that journey there is also disappointment, failure, sorrow, frustration, weariness, and doubt. Just as you were carried along by your determination, you find yourself dragged down by failure. Then you learn that inside that inside you, along with the will to win is a willingness to lose, to stop when the hill seems too steep, when the road becomes too narrow and rough. That willingness will speak to you of self pity, and sometimes it will plead, and sometimes rant. But always it tries to make you stop."
What does this tell us about life?
What do you think
Share your thoughts.
posted by preacherman @ 9:06:00 PM
38 Comments:
Hebrews 12:1 reminds us that we are to "run with patience" in life's race. A good rendering might be "with patient endurance".
Than Paul wrote in Gal 5 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, ..."
"They that wait upon the Lord" will find their strength renewed, not those who go madly into battle.
Perhaps being patient, understanding whose we are and that the victory has already been won, will make us persevere more than any motives imposed upon us externally by others.
The race of faith is not a sprint but a marathon. Those who run with patient endurance keeping their eyes upon the prize will be winners.
His peace,
Royce Ogle
you said a mouthful there!
I just finished some books in a series called
"HEROES OF THE FAITH"
and after reading about these men,
I think that they had the "THE ART OF PERSEVERANCE"
John Bunyan
David Livingstone
Hudson Taylor
Charles Finney,
just to name a few!
hi preacherman,
take care!
Royce,
Great thoughts about this post. Thank you for sharing and adding to this discussion.
Jel,
Thanks for yor book recommendation. It sounds like a great book. I will add it to my reading list. Thanks for your thoughts. I got to have a carmel breve latte a Starbucks today! So I am one happy guy. :-) And on top on that my wife bought me a french press. :-) I'm in coffee heaven lately.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Good to meet you. I am still processing the excerpt that you posted. Good thoughts.
This I know - it is usually in and after the Dark Nights of the Soul in my life that I have emerged more fully formed.
Dallas Willard's Renovation of the Heart has helped me try to change the metaphor from trying to training as a way of doing life.
I often think about how we view failure and how God views failure. Because He can see the end results of our struggles, what we deem as a failure He sees as a huge success. Daniel (in the lion's den), Jonah, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Joseph and other’s probably thought themselves failures too, because they couldn’t see the end result.
Have a good week,
Monalea
I often think about how we view failure and how God views failure. Because He can see the end results of our struggles, what we deem as a failure He sees as a huge success. Daniel (in the lion's den), Jonah, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Joseph and other’s probably thought themselves failures too, because they couldn’t see the end result.
Have a good week,
Monalea
Arlene,
I want to thank you for your wonderful comments and adding to this discussion. Dallas Willard is an inspiration to many. God bless Him for being such an inspiration and encouragement to those who need it.
Arelene,
I forgot to let you know that you are welcome here at this blog anytime.
Monalea,
Thank you for adding to the discussion and bring light on how you see failures when it comes to faith and God. It is very interesting to say the least and a fresh look at how each of these men despite dark days held on and kept running up the hill of life. In the end the found themselves stronger and their dependence on God more secure and solid. Thank you for adding to this discussion.
Pray for me because I can't take much more alling.
I believe one of the reasons we get in touch with our weaknesses and desire to give up in life is to heighten the value and necessity of community. Rampant individualism has led to more pastors bailing from ministry than we'd like to admit. We need 'the body" to make the long journey.
Milly,
You will be in my prayers.
I believe the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. I believe that if you did what I did and think on the word of God such as, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Or "I am a more than a conquor through him who loves me." It will give you strength. There is power in thinking and meditating on the word of God during illness and also knowing that others are praying for you gives you hope. Know that others are praying. It will strengthen your body and soul. If you persever as this passage in the post says, you will be stronger and find yourself, your real self. I did just that during my illness. Know that I am praying and others as well. God, give Milly strength to enduring and faith to rely on you. Thank you for sister for all you have done for so many. God bless you sister in the name of Jesus. You are a blessing to so many through your blog. Persevere. Keep going!
John,
Thank you so much for you comments and adding to this discussion. You are right on. We need the body so much to give us the strength that we need to persevere. Thank you for bringing out this point when it comes to clergy staying in ministry. I pray that more and more clergy will stay in ministry and keep making a a difference for the kingdom of God. Again, thank for your contibution to this discussion. It means a lot.
It takes strength and courage to make it successfully through life, a strength and courage that comes from a firm faith in the almighty God who is with us and for us.
It is a fight worth fighting.
Keep on keeping on!
Thanks for your kind comments on my blog. I enjoy reading yours as well, although I don't often comment. BTW, since you are in ministry you might be interested in a new link on my blog, titled "free bible lessons." I will be adding more to it on a regular basis.
Terry,
Excellent comments.
I totally agree.
Thank you for the wonderful insight. It is greatly appreciated in this discussion brother.
Darin,
Yes, it is a fight worth fighting. Thank you for leaving your comments and taking the time to post.
Rod,
Thanks for the encouragement and the information about the lessons on your blog. I am always looking for fresh ideas, helps and illustrations. Again, thanks for your encouragement.
This quotation has led my thoughts to conclude that life is working against us. How can this be? Well, we have to remember that we live in a fallen world. A world that includes death and deterioration. So, from the time of our birth we are heading towards death. Life is working against itself to culminate in death. But, we have to remember that the Bible encourages us to have faith in life by living it with patience and endurance, because faith in God leads to a different kind of life, one that doesn't include death. This is eternal life. It is our blessed hope. If we live our lives in anticipation of this, we will need to have patience and endurance with this life. This is because we know there is something better awaiting us. So, our hopes are not in this life, but in the life to come. So, the beckoning of life that this quotation mentions refers to the beckoning of both the temporal and the eternal. A tug of war within the spirit of mankind that leads either to death or to life. It is the ultimate cosmic battle we have been engaged in since creation's fall. My conclusion to all this is simple.
"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" - Romans 7:24-25
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." - Romans 8:1-2
Jesus is the answer to life. Let us be patient and endure until his coming. Amen.
Thanks for the stimulating thoughts, preacherman.
Gord,
Thank you so much for adding a fresh point of view to this discussion. Life working against us. I have never looked at it that way before? I want to thank you for making me think. Good thoughts as always brother.
Morning!
Good point from Gord. Ever since that "Adam guy" life has been working against us. I think an expression of the ideal of your post in the words, "Death, where is your sting."
Ultimately on this side of eternity, "life" prevails against us in our resulting deaths. But for those in Christ, there is a final and eternal reward for "perseverance."
Jel,
Good morning.
I hope you have a good day.
cwinwc,
I want thank you for taking time to comment. It means a lot brother. I think Gords view is a really fresh approach as well. God has called us no matter what we face in life to persevere and keep going.
Yes, we are always tried by the one that wants for us to stop...and so when we want to stop we can stop...and look to God, and family, and friends. becaues we have made the choice to believe, we belong to God and there we will find our help in our time of need.
good post
and very good question brother!
Thanks Nancy the devil does want us to stop. I believe if we stop he does win that is why we must keep as Paul said, "fighting the fight, running the race, and keeping the faith."
preacherman-
Giving up manifests itself in many ways and sometimes we even lie to ourselves and say, "I really won that one" when we really didn't.
And unfortunately in too many cases in this day and age we embrace failure as "a kind of" success.
hope ya have a good week to come!
A.W.
Excellent point as always.
Thanks for your wise wisdom. :-)
Jel,
Thanks I hope you do too.
Wonderful web site. Plenty of helpful info here.
I'm sending it to a few pals ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you for your sweat!
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Jel, Thanks I hope you do too.
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