I have started a study on the Apostle Paul and am in the process of reading the book “Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit” by Charles R. Swindoll. Everything that I am about to write comes directly from the book or was inspired by reading Chapter One.
Imagine an individual who has experienced the following events in his life:
1831 Attempted a career in business and failed
1832 Ran for State Legislature and was unsuccessful
1832 Applied to law school and was rejected (even laughed at…)
1833 Started another business, using borrowed money, and failed. Went bankrupt
1835 Feel in love, and fiancée died shortly after engagement
1836 Had a nervous breakdown and spent 6 months in bed recovering
1838 Sought to become Speaker of State Legislature and was defeated
1840 Sought to become the Elector of the State and was defeated
1846 Ran for Congress and won
1848 Ran for re-election and lost
1849 Sought the job of Land Officer and was rejected
1854 Ran for Senate of the United States and lost
1856 Sought the Vice Presidential nomination and suffered embarrassing defeat
1858 Ran for U.S. Senate and lost
1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United State
Often we have faced defeat or not had the victory that we felt was certain, we give up or think maybe we’ve made a mistake on the path we took. I was so very encouraged by reading the many setbacks experienced by Abraham Lincoln, but how he in the face of those defeats continued forward. Imagine if he stopped in 1835 and totally gave up; or in 1848; or even in 1858 when his victory was around the corner.
I am reminded that Christians do not have the power to see around the bend or over the hill that we are currently climbing, but as long as we are on the path that God has laid out before us – we can have all confidence and assurance that He is going before us (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Today, consult with God concerning your path, and if you have His assurance that your path is correct, keep moving forward, keep persevering, keep praying. Your change may be a month, a day, a week, an hour, a minute, or maybe even simply a second away. Don’t give up now.
I hope this is as encouraging to you as it was to me this morning. Also know that a Life Coach can help keep you encouraged, motivated, and accountable for staying true to your goal and staying on your path.