“It doesn’t really matter,” were my thoughts the other day. I just couldn’t do it any longer. Last summer I worked hard to lose weight along with a couple of friends. So I pushed it to the limit because I thought, “if I reach my goal I can just maintain.” And I did it. I persisted beyond what I thought was possible. Now I am struggling to push this body to where it needs to be again as I have not maintained. So I will persist until I succeed and not give up.
This has been on my heart recently – persistence. I see so many who are not persistent, including myself at times. There are two common factors with those who succeed. Those who succeed are persistent and disciplined. It applies as a business owner, as a professional/employee in the workplace, with family and personally.
Have You Given Up?
I want you to take a moment to think about your goals and dreams. It would be great if you took a moment to share a goal or dream below in the comment section. I love hearing people’s goals and dreams. As you work(ed) through your goals, do (did) you ever think:
- Is this really worth it?
- Why did I ever decide to do this?
- I just can’t do this anymore.
- I’m giving up.
- What was I thinking?
- I Will Persist Until I Succeed and Not Give Up
Think of your situation. How many times have you thought about giving up? Or maybe you already have. The next few days I will be taking a closer look at this – Persistence.
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
“So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking [persistently], finds; and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened.
2 Thessalonians 3:13
And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.
Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
“I will persist until I succeed.”
Consider the following from Og’s book, The Greatest Salesman in the World:
“I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.”
“I will persist until I succeed.”
“The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner.”
“Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.”
“I will persist until I succeed.”
“Henceforth, I will consider each day’s effort as but one blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today. I will be liken to the rain drop which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.”
“I will persist until I succeed.”
“I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows.”
The Greatest Salesman in the World, Og Mandino
“I will persist until I succeed.”
Challenge for the day: Don’t be a quitter! Don’t let obstacles stop you. And don’t accept excuses for giving up. Don’t accept that, “this is just the way it is.” Persist until you succeed and don’t give up – keep walkin’! So be it!
Cyndi says
Before I was saved I read Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. I was trying to quit smoking. There was a scripture that the Lord planted in my heart. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Phil. 4:13. That scripture has helped me through numerous things since then. I gave that scripture to my dad after my mother passed away when he didn’t feel like he could go on. Amazing the life and power in God’s words. In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Rom. 8:37 We can do it with His help! We cannot fail as long as He is beside us each step of the way. If we take one step, He’ll take two. Bless the Lord! Thomas Edison said, “I haven’t failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”. Don’t give up when you stumble and fall, keep getting up and win the race!
Scott Ramsey says
Great words and thoughts in follow up. Those words you shared with your dad :o) were life-changing. Literally life-changing for all of eternity! PTL Thank you Cyndi. You are a great (and much older) big sister! LOL – Love you!
Cyndi says
Keep up the good & encouraging work! God is always working. He is faithful. Lol, I love you too lil’ brother! 😉