PERSISTENCE

So I say to you, ASK, and it will be given to you; SEEK, and you will find; KNOCK, and it will be opened to you – Mathew 7:7

Persistence refers to the sustained effort necessary to induce faith. It has also been described as “stickability” – the ability to stick-to-it! To persist is to refuse to give up or let go in spite of difficulty or opposition. In the Scriptures, persistence is mostly linked with Faith, Prayer, and Service. The Lord Jesus teaches us to “Ask…Seek… Knock”, signifying degrees of persistent faith (Mt.7:7). He also told the Parables of the Persistent Friend and Persistent Widow to teach Importunity in Prayers (Lk.11: 5-13; 18:1-8). Elijah demonstrated persistence on Mount Carmel, as he prayed for rain to fall after three years of draught (1Kg.18:42-44). We are admonished to be “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord”, if we must be rewarded in the Lord (1Cor.15:58). Moreover, it takes persistence to nurture human relationships in the contexts of friendships, courtship, business or ministry.

Power belong to the Persistent. The encounter of the disciples who tarried in the Upper Room until the day of Pentecost confirms this (Acts 2:1-4). Being persistent is the one thing which separates the winners from the losers. Lack of persistence is one of the most common causes of failure in life. The majority of people are ready to throw their arms and purposes overboard, and give up, at the slightest sign of opposition. When a person makes up his or her mind to achieve a particular feat and set their focus in that direction, refusing to be deterred or discouraged, he or she usually lays hold on the target. If you are persistent in a good thing, which does not conflict with the laws of God and man, and you refuse to quit, sooner or later, what you pursue will find you. Phenomenal feats have been accomplished through persistence.

The power of persistence, perseverance, and tenacity, even in the face of adversity, is the true mark of champions. Winners never quit; and quitters never win! Quitting is not in the vocabulary of truly successful people. Indeed, those who achieve great things are those who refuse to quit. It takes the hammer of Persistence to drive the nail of success. Adversaries may shoot arrows of taunting remarks and critics send darts of derision and discouragement; yet they persist and persevere. Finding alternative ways to reach goals is okay. Seeking substitute routes to the destination is acceptable; but to the daring and persistent of heart, there is no such thing as desertion or quitting. The ultimate winner may have been counted out several times but he did not hear the referee! Dale Carnegie said: Big shots are little shots who kept on shooting!

A wise man said: Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with Talent. Genius will not; unrewarded Genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. It is important to cultivate the quality and skills of persistence. The persistent person is fully committed, not to an isolated action, but to a plan or a cause. Having received God’s grace for your race, you are not permitted to quit until you breast the tape. You must “endure unto the end” and be saved (Mk.13:13).  The Lord will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you in respect of your life’s vision and assignments (1Pet.5:10). He will endow you with divine staying power in your journey of destiny. You will finish well and finish strong in this race of life, in Jesus name.