Precious Perseverance

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My service dog Tanner has many endearing qualities. One of the things I admire most about him is that he does not give up easily. I have observed as Tanner has persevered to accomplish a difficult task and shared in the joy of the success of his efforts. For example, turning on and off lights is one of his more challenging duties. Though it is hard for Tanner to flip the switch up or down, he does not quit until the deed is done.

One of my favorite movies is Martian Child. In this film a message is conveyed about unconditional love. It also teaches the viewer about NEVER giving up. A widowed single father adopts a troubled little boy whose way of coping with the pain of being rejected by his birth parents is to believe he must have come from the planet Mars. A touching scene in the movie is when authorities are interviewing the boy to determine whether his needs are being met, and if his adoptive father is fit for the challenges. While facing that panel of so-called experts, that charming, yet eccentric child boldly proclaims that his new dad taught him to “NEVER, NEVER, EVER GIVE UP!” I love that. My aspiration is to achieve that depth of dedication.

Endurance is an excellent character trait. God values and honors those who persevere. His Word contains much instruction concerning patience and determination. Following is a sampling of those precious promises:

Luke 21:19

"By your endurance you will gain your lives.”

Hebrews 10:36

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

Hebrews 12:1

Jesus, the Example

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, …”

James 1:2-4

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

(Scriptures taken from the New American Standard Bible)

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