This Year - Persevere (2)We will reap a harvest if we do not give up.Galatians 6:9 NIVIt's said that Walt Disney's request for a loan was rejected by 301 banks before he finally got a "yes". But because he refused to quit, he built the world's most famous theme park.

So, this year remember two things: (1) Perseverance is needed to win the prize. At a sales convention the manager said to 2000 of his firm's sales force, "Did the Wright brothers ever quit?" "No!" they responded. "Did Charles Lindburg ever quit?" "No!" they shouted. "Did Lance Armstrong ever quit?" "No!" they bellowed. "Did Thorndike McKester ever quit?" There was a long, confused silence. Then a salesperson shouted, "Who in the world is Thorndike McKester? Nobody's ever heard of him." The sales manager snapped back, "Of course you haven't - that's because he quit!" Quitters never win, and winners never quit.

(2) Perseverance turns adversity into advancement. Paul writes, "Everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News" (Philp 1:12 NLT). Paul didn't give up - he rose up! How did he do it? He found the benefit to him personally that comes from every trial. One Christian author writes: "Today we're obsessed with speed, but God is more interested in strength and stability. We want the quick fix, the shortcut, the on-the-spot solution. We want a sermon, a seminar or an experience that will instantly resolve all problems, remove all temptation and release us from all growing pains. But real maturity is never the result of a single experience, no matter how powerful or moving." Growth is gradual. The Bible says, "Our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters and we become like Him" (2 Corinthians 3:18 TM).