Dare 2 Share -
Since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. --2 Corinthians 4:1
There was once a baseball player named Mick. In his heart he knew he could play, but I’m not sure his stats back that up. Over the course of his career, Mick’s walks and strikeouts totaled well over 3000- basically seven seasons. What would you think of a baseball player who played seven seasons without hitting the ball in fair territory? One might think he could never amount to anything.
By the way, I neglected to give you Mick’s full name: Mickey Mantle, and I’m glad he didn’t quit baseball, because the world would be missing one of the greatest players of all time.
There was also an aspiring inventor named Tom. Tom had this notion that he could be successful in inventing something, even though he had already failed hundreds of times. What would you think of an inventor who failed hundreds of times in his experiments? Thomas Edison, perhaps the greatest inventor in American history, spent many long months failing before he found a filament that would stay lit in his incandescent light. I’m glad Thomas didn’t give up, because the world might still be in the dark.
History is replete with stories such as these, and the lesson behind them is clear: The key to success in any endeavor is not power and position, or brains and brawn. The key is perseverance- the ability to keep on going despite failure. The determination to never ‘lose heart’ even though your heart has been broken.
The Apostle Paul was well acquainted with difficulty and perseverance. His list of failures was long, and his circumstances would cause the majority of Christians today to quit.
What was so difficult about his life? For one, the people in a church he founded in Corinth stumbled badly and fell into flagrant disobedience right to his face. For another, he suffered in dark and disgusting prisons for many years just for sharing his faith. Throw in the shipwrecks, beatings, and betrayals (2 Cor. 11:23-27), and you could have a picture of defeat. Yet Paul persevered, and changed the world.
There is now a believer named ( you ). There are many difficult and trying circumstances going on right now, but perseverance will win out and keep you from quitting the Christian race. I’m glad you’re not going to give up, because the world needs to hear the gospel.
Questions:
1) What circumstances in your life have you discouraged?
2) How does God's mercy give you strength to persevere?
3) How can your past mistakes help you be more effective in sharing your faith?
