Everyday Perseverance
Let’s start with the easy part, the definition:
1. To persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea, or task in the face of obstacles or discouragement.
2. Keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last
The ONLY scripture using this word:
Eph 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Perseverance is from the root word, “proskartere”, which means:
1. To adhere to one, be his adherent, to be devoted or constant to one
2. To be steadfastly attentive unto, to give unremitting care to a thing
3. To continue all the time in a place
4. To persevere and not to faint
5. To show one’s self-courageous for
6. To be in constant readiness for one, wait on constantly
You know as well as I do, that I could wax verbose by stating the obvious and getting all kinds of spiritual with this word. I could go on and on about staying in the battle, fighting a good fight, winning the prize, getting to Heaven and unceasing praying.
But, I’m going to spare you. Why? Because this thing called Perseverance is a real and absolute necessity to function in life. Its value is much higher than what spiritual rhetoric can afford.
As a child, my family moved ALL THE TIME. When things got bad; we’d move. When times got tough; my parent’s divorced. There was never a moment in my childhood that I felt secure or stable. I wasn’t taught to “stick it out”.
This life lesson stayed with me throughout my teens and young adult life. With every challenge or obstacle, I practiced and perfected it. Even with my walk with God. When a trial came my way, I was gone. This was what I knew, and eventually, I backslid.
I kept running until I moved back to Ohio, yet again, escaping the abuses of my first husband. When I drove up to my grama’s house, something inside me clicked. I realized, if I didn’t stop, my children would grow up just like me. In 1990, I decided I would not move from Ohio, ever. I moved many times within Ohio, but, never OUT. Hey, it was my first step.
By the grace and mercy of God, I made my way back to Him. When I prayed through, I decided I would stick this out, no matter what. My thinking even went as far as to say, “Lord, if I go to Hell, I will go with the peace, knowing I did everything I possibly could to live for You”.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that that isn’t possible! But, it was the only way I could put into words how determined I was to continue with the Lord. To maintain a growing walk with Christ. No matter if I messed up or fell down; I would stay. Many times, I’ve had to snot and slobber my way to the altar of forgiveness. He was always there.
Another challenge was when the Lord told me to go to nursing school.
Halfway through my first quarter, I looked heavenward and said, “What were you THINKING?!”
The Lord replied, “Put your head to the wind. You’ll make it.”
I did. And, I graduated, in the top percentile of my class. It was the first time I’d ever graduated-anything. Had I not pushed through and stuck with it, I never would have experienced the unbelievable sense of accomplishment as I accepted my diploma.
I had to force myself to change my “running” ways. And, by learning perseverance in my everyday lifestyle, I’m able to apply it in my spiritual life.
