About two months ago, I wrote an article that described how amazing it is when things fall into place and everything is good in your world (which can be found here). However, what happens when things aren't exactly going the way you thought they would?
As the school year is starting back up, we actually begin to realize that some of the plans we had for this semester, let alone this school year, may not work out like we had hoped. Once everything finally gets rolling, homework, work, or other commitments in clubs and organizations help us with this realization. Perhaps you really wanted a leadership position in an organization you're passionate about, but a brief time commitment problem harms your chances of actually getting that position. Or you wanted to become a part of a new organization or team that selects its members and only has so many spots open, so you end up not making the cut. Maybe you wanted to join five new clubs this year and realized you bit off more than you can chew. I'm going to cut to the chase and say that it's a terrible feeling when things fall through the cracks. However, there is a way that we don't let this terrible feeling get the best of us.
Perseverance, my friends, is a wonderful thing. The bible says in James 1: 2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." In the first book of Corinthians, God says in chapter 15 verse 58 "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
Of ALL things to consider trials, you are supposed to consider them to be "pure joy?" How can that be? That right there is the skepticism talking. We normally run away from trials instead of tackling them head on. The reason is simple: we are afraid. We are afraid that things are only going to get worse for us than what they already are. Hence the reason why we don't stand firm. We get tired and frustrated, thinking that all the work we have done to prepare for these things that fell through the cracks have all gone to waste. However, what the bible is trying to tell us is that you SHOULD tackle challenges head on because they are going to teach you perseverance, or strengthen what is already there. For those of you that don't know, the Merriam-Webster definition of perseverance is: "the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult." It's plain and simple: God wants you to go through this difficult period of time standing firm and tall so you can not only stay faithful to Him, but also change the way you handle challenges in the future. Allow God to finish his work within you so you can grow and become whole, not lacking anything that God feels you need.
When you really think about it, perseverance makes the world go 'round. Just look at some important icons of our time. According to wanderlustworker.com, Jim Carrey was booed off stage at his first comic stand-up in Toronto, Stephen King's first novel Carrie (which has become wildly popular due to the movie) was rejected 30 times before it was published, and it took Sir James Dyson (the man who invented the Dyson vacuum cleaner) 5,126 failures for him to finally get the world's first bagless vacuum cleaner. Most celebrities go through trials and tribulations, so there's many more perseverance stories out there. They may have fallen down once or twice, but they chose to get back up again and never looked back.
So, be grateful for all the forks in the road that you encounter. Stand courageous and firm. In the end, it makes us stronger individuals, which also helps us tackle future challenges we face head on without fear.
