“Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.” Proverbs 24:16 NIV
“Success is an earthly measurement; Heaven commends faithfulness.”
My thoughts today are about “Godly tenacity”
Failures happen. Achievement awaits the person who will not allow failure to be final. Thomas Edison may have been the poster child for such tenacity of effort. He is quoted as saying, “I haven’t failed. I’ve found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” Edison became the most famous American inventor, eventually holding 1,093 patents, exactly because of that kind of stubborn resolve. Solomon wisely observed, “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.” Proverbs 24:16 NIV. Godly tenacity is often a better indicator of future success than ability.
Never indulge yourself in the luxury of quitting, a luxury you truly can’t afford. “So don’t get tired doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for you will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time . . for God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Galatians 6:9 NLT/Hebrews 6:10 NKJV.
It may just be my imagination – or maybe it was my lack of life experience at the time which made me more attentive to advice – but as I was growing up there seemed to be more oft repeated sayings that capsulized tidbits of practical advice such as: “all talk, and no action,” or “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” or “many hands make light work,” or “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” You can see the obvious truth in those brief statements.
The one that seems to express my thoughts today would be: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” That’s still good advice for people easily discouraged when things don’t go the way they thought. Why should you assume everything will go well on early attempts at a difficult task, and give up when it doesn’t? Success on your first attempt will be rare.
Frequently, an actor or singer is labeled an “overnight success,” when in reality they had spent years practicing their craft in obscurity before being noticed. Don’t look for shortcuts to success; things that come too quickly and easily are rarely prized. The hard work of supreme effort and Godly tenacity prepare you to value your achievement and appreciate its reward.
Success is only an earthly measurement; Heaven commends faithfulness. I choose for my goal to be what God values most: faithfulness! Your life is best lived with one day clearly in mind; that day is when you will stand before God. Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-14/4:1-5 NIV. I appreciate the kind words of people when sincerely given, yet must never forget God knows me better and truer than all others, and only His appraisal will ultimately matter. To hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant . . enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21), will make every sacrifice and every act of obedience, patience, and perseverance worthwhile.
My prayer for you today is that your life displays a Godly tenacity for righteousness.