Valuing Perseverance
ByI enjoy the Olympics. Though I am not sure I would watch any of the Olympic sports at any other time, I thoroughly enjoy them every four years.
One of the things that comes with every Olympics is personal stories of perseverance. It is inevitable and, it seems, constant, during the Olympic broadcasts. Every athlete has a story. And many of the athletes have a particular setback that they were able to overcome or endure in order to make it to the Olympics. An injury, a death in the family, failure four years ago, etc.
While watching one of these stories the other day, it hit me…I thoroughly enjoy these stories of perseverance, yet I don’t really want to be one of those folks who have to persevere and endure such difficult things.
That goes for most of it doesn’t it? We are inspired by tales of overcoming difficult obstacles, yet we tend to despise the obstacles in our own lives, the very things that can make us people of perseverance. We seem to simply want little more than everything coming easy. We are content with being inspired, when we could become inspiring.
According to Scripture, God is jealous to make His people people of perseverance. We are even told that Christians should count various kinds of trials joy because they are used by God to make us people of maturity and perseverance (James 1:2-4). While watching the Olympics, I am wise to use the plethora of perseverance stories to remind myself that I should not despise the means God ordains to making me a man that, just maybe, can inspire others and not just be inspired. Maybe you can watch and be reminded of the same.
3 Comments
February 24th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
I have to admit, I get bored when life is too easy. I like the trials, though sometimes they are more challenging than I care for. In those times I pull out the verse in James and am reminded of the way the trial is shaping me.
February 24th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
(In all honesty, I have to admit, I have not always been this way…)
February 28th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
This was right on time. As tough as it is to endure those trials we must recognize that they are allow by God and have faith in knowing it is all for the great good. Somethings that we go through aren’t necessarily for us, but for for others to be inspired by.
Just to inform you, I will be using your awesome quote…
“We are content with being inspired, when we could become inspiring”.
(I will be sure to pay homage, thanks and Be Blessed)