TENACITY

That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and PATIENCE inherit the promises – Hebrews 6:12

TENACITY, Steadfastness, and Patience are winning attitudes any day! Perseverance, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success. Winners never quit; quitters never win! The power to hold on in spite of everything, to endure and press on – is the Conqueror’s Quality. All achievements require Time and Tenacity; the ability to pursue your goals, even beyond what you perceive are your capabilities. Perseverance is required to continue to grow, to overcome life’s falls, failures, frustrations, and the obstacles to Success. Ninety percent of all failures result from people quitting too soon. Impatience is costly. The greatest mistakes will happen because of impatience. Benjamin Franklin said, “Genius is nothing but a greater aptitude for Patience.” Most people fail because they are impatient and cannot join the beginning with the end. Beloved, “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall stergthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD” (Psa.27:14).

Rejoicing in hope, PATIENT in tribulation, continuing steadfast in prayer (Rom. 12:12). Patience and perseverance may relate to problems faced at the personal level, marriage and home setting, business venture or ministry outreach. When you get going on a project and problems crop up, don’t assume that the very idea of the project is wrong: “for a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity” (Pro.24:16). A Japanese proverb echoes likewise: Fall seven times; stand up eight. The Lord spoke of a Vineyard dresser who requested the owner to give ample opportunity for the fig tree to be nurtured into fruitfulness (Lk.13:6-9). Don’t be hasty. Don’t quit too soon. What a shame it would be to destroy something that was going to get good – to abort the potential of your seed. Almost everything that is terrific today, earlier wasn’t: any person; any marriage; any business; any ministry, or any church. Good things take time to become good!

Patience pays. Perseverance profits; but haste often leads to waste. A wise man said, “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength but by perseverance.” The greatest assassin of dreams is Haste, the desire to reach things before the right time. Haste slows dreams and opens the door to failure. John Heywood said, “The more haste, the less speed.” Thomas Shadwell wrote, “The haste of a fool is the slowest thing in the world.” The road to Success runs Uphill, so don’t expect to break any speed records. Whoever is in a hurry suggests that what he is doing is too big for him. The situation that seems urgent seldom is. A Chinese proverb says: “the man who removes a mountain, begins by carrying away small stones.” If you don’t see results right away, don’t worry. Hold on in Hope: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil” (Heb.6:19).

Mary Anne Radmacher said, “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” It takes the hammer of Persistence to drive the nails of Success. The man who wins may have been counted out several times but he did not hear the referee. It’s more important who finishes the game than who starts it. Become famous for finishing the important and difficult tasks. Never give up prematurely; and never claim Victory prematurely. God does not pay by the week, but He pays at the End. You will be judged by what you finish, not by what you start. Be a Good Finisher. Finish well. Finish thoroughly. Finish strong. Persevere because the last key on the ring may be the one that opens the door.