Persistent Paul

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

We live in a world of INSTANT. With information at our fingertips, we are accustomed to getting what we want, when we want it. The problem with this way of thinking, however, is that it does not teach us to be persistent. 

When we are used to things happening instantly, it can be hard for us to slow down, be patient, and put in the hard work some things require. In addition, when we fall, we may lack the courage to get back up and try again.

Proverbs 24:16 says, “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity” (ESV). We are not promised that this life will be easy. In fact, we are told that we will face trials. Therefore, the true test of our character is how we respond when we go through hard times.

Let’s think about this pandemic; the world came to a standstill, persons lost their jobs and many families struggled to keep goods in their house. For many, the response was to cry out to the government for assistance, and for others, they look around them, saw what they had and new ventures were created. They were persistent, they didn’t give up, they didn’t grumble.

I listened to a mother of six explain that her faith caused her to push forward. She said she was knocked down with the loss of her husband, then hit with being displaced after Hurricane Dorian and now COVID-19. She summed it all up by saying, she is no quitter and that when she thinks about the worst days she saw, she always survived and God saw her through it all. What faith! 

It is important to realize that persistence is not a trait that we are either born with or not. Rather, it is something we all can achieve if we work toward it and ask God to give us the strength to persevere.

I love the Apostle Paul and I think his life exemplified persistent faith. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul gives us this advice: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLT).

As Christians, we are called to focus on God and be persistent in our faith, even in the midst of challenging times.