Perseverance

 

Perseverance 

“Therefore since you have been justified through faith, we have peace with God...

we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our

sufferings. Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance brings character, and

character brings hope. And hope does not disappoint us."

(Romans 5:1-5)

             The keyword this week is perseverance. Our lives are a constant search for serenity or peace. Where does it hide, or do we hide it on ourselves? Certainly, we all go through phases when we are not at peace. Careers get in the way, illness occurs and the general business of our lifestyle disturbs tranquility. 

            When we are not at peace, which is in control? Years ago during some stressful times, my daughter gave me a daily meditation book and suggested I pay attention to it. Not reading the morning newspaper and replacing the news with meditation resulted in a more positive start to the day. I no longer knew the baseball scores, how Tiger did, or better yet, how many negative things occurred in the world yesterday. Meditating gave me a level of peace at the start of the day. 

            So where does persistence fit in? Well, peace is elusive and hard to grasp, or even to define. The search may be everlasting. Paul’s message to the Romans is fairly clear. Throughout the ups, downs, and general activities of our lives, we must be persistent in our faith and keep God in our lives. Through the grace of God, we will find the hope, peace, and tranquility we desire. 

Thought for Today: Today let us review our long-standing frustrations. The demanding boss, the developing teenager, the morning commute, whatever is in our lives. Let us pray for God's guidance on how we should help Him deal with the frustration. If He is involved, we will be less frustrated. 

Prayer for the Week:  Dear Lord, I give thanks for the many blessings that are present in my life; the good friends, the lifestyle, the rain, and flowers. There still are many issues that need attention. I pray for your guidance to work through these every day issues.

Amen