Perseverance: Doing what is right and good even when I want to give up.
“The sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Proverbs 13:4
Perseverance is a fitting character trait to start the year off with since New Year’s resolutions are famous for being abandoned a week of two into the new year. While I’m generally not much of a New Year’s resolution maker, I am a fan of perseverance. I think with many things in life the secret to success is simply refusing to give up when it would be easier to do just that. When I ran cross country in high school, which I enjoyed but was not very gifted at, most of the battle was not with my lungs or my legs, but with my mind that wanted to quit running. Stubborn refusal to quit is often the difference between success and failure.
Perseverance is a quality that is commended to us in God’s Word. Paul writes to the Thessalonian Christians, “Therefore, we ourselves boast about you among God’s churches - about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions that you are enduring.” Despite the difficulties that the Thessalonians were facing, they stubbornly refused to let go of the faith, and their dedication became an example for other believers.
As we enter the second half of the school year the hope is that Christmas break allowed us to catch our second wind. However, the reality is, as we begin to slog through the winter months on campus and at home, it can get difficult, and sometimes even the most Instagram worthy homeschooling moms and dads want to give up. My suspicion is that we have all chosen this education path for similar reasons, we crave something better for our children. Giving up and throwing in the towel when it gets tough, and kids get feral will get us nothing. However, if we are diligent and persevere, I trust that you, and I - we, will be richly supplied.
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