2008-01-11 - Persistence

There is such an attitude of impatience surrounding us (at least those of us in the U.S.).. If we have dial-up connections, we are urged that we absolutely must have DSL - after all, we can't afford to wait 15 seconds to sign on! When many of us married, we realized that "things take time," that we'd need to furnish our homes one piece at a time, that we would need to work our way up to our "ideal" work position etc. But now, there is more of a sense of entitlement - that we are owed the best job right away, that we should get our dream job or car as soon as we get married etc. Not only is it unrealistic; it's simply greedy.

And this extends to more important areas of life,as well. If our ministry work doesn't show results (usually meaning numbers) right away, we give up. If we run into an obstacle in pursuing a God-given dream, we just quit. But that's not what the Bible teaches us. Luke 18 illustrates the importance of persistence and patience, with the parable of the widow. If we really believe we are doing the right thing, when should we give up? Never.

We need to remind ourselves that we aren't responsible for timing or results; God is. All we are responsible for is our own behavior, "doing the right thing," or as was said in the 70s, to "keep on keepin' on." In 2008, may we all show more persistence and patience.

Jan

cfdevjan@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org