Stay In The Race

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith  develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature  and complete, not lacking anything.” -James 1:2-4 (NIV)

 Do you feel like you’ve been put through the ringer lately? In your heart you believe in God, but your faith in Him is really being tried like never before. It’s being tried by illness. It’s being tried by financial woes. It’s being tried by family issues. It’s being tried by the not so simple process of delayed manifestation. Even though your faith is being tested God still wants to bring forth the best in you and for you. God’s word of comfort to you is “For I know the plans  I have for you,” declares the  Lord,  “plans to prosper  you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)."

James states that our trials enable us to develop “perseverance.” Perseverance is continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. If you ever want to manifest your God-given potential then you must possess perseverance. I am convinced that all great men and women have possessed this quality for without it their dreams, goals and objectives would have never been fulfilled. On this subject Napoleon Hill states, “The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard, and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. A few carry on DESPITE all opposition, until they attain their goal. These few are the Fords, Carnegies, Rockefellers, and Edisons.” It’s imperative that you become one of the few who persevere. 

 In Hebrews 11 we read of people who against all odds persevered and obtained the fulfillment of their faith. Your trials are only temporary, but in order to finish the race you’ve got to endure. Stop allowing the way something looks or feels to deceive you into quitting. Your destiny awaits you, but will you endure the length of the journey to get there?