In the early days of our ministry my wife and I faced heavy
persecution against our ministry. At a lunch with one of my mentors, Dr Lester
Sumrall, I poured out my heart while he listened intently for fifteen minutes,
silently sipping a bowl of soup. After he finished eating, he put down his
spoon, looked me straight in the eye and said, “Young man, perseverance will
always outlast persecution”. With that he called for the bill, and our lunch
was over.
That was one of the best pieces of advice I have ever had.
When we go through challenges in life they often seem insurmountable. Pressure
always seems to magnify our problems and we begin to doubt our ability to
change our circumstances, our self confidence dwindles and self efficacy begins
to diminish.
One of the characteristics of reformers, people who have
changed the course of history, is their ability to handle pressure or
persecution. Situations don’t sway them, but rather galvanize their vision. They
have an unswerving conviction that nothing they’ve done is wasted, the outcome
is always worth the sacrifice, and the long term benefit will bear generational
dividends. A saying from Africa may reflect this idea best, ‘above the clouds the
sun always shines’.
Perseverance requires us to focus on the goals we have set
for our lives, family and community. When we become goal oriented there is no
room for the crippling fear that comes with the pressure of persecution.
Focusing on our goals, releases energy that enables us to accomplish that goal.
Remember that ‘losers look at what they are going through, reformers look at where
they are going’.
