Topic: Perseverance Has A Reward Text: John 5:1 – 9 

Introduction: “There is no royal road to anything; one thing at a time, all things in succession.  That which grows fast withers as rapidly; that which grows slowly endures” so says J.G. Holland. This saying brings me to the topic I have chosen to speak on. The theme of 3rd Sunday after Epiphany in the Church Year calendar of Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion is ‘The Presence of God.’ However, I have chosen to speak on the topic: ‘Perseverance Has A Reward.’ Indeed there is a reward for whatever we do whether good or bad. For whatsoever we do either in open or secret, there is a reward. Therefore we must be careful.

Development: The story in our text is well known to us. We have severally heard different preachers speak on this text. However, I want to look at it from another angle: Perseverance and its reward. This man was sick for 38years. We were not told if he spent the 38 years beside the pool of Bethesda. There are some characteristics in this story I want us to consider.

1. He was sick of an infirmity not mentioned. It may be palsy, for he was able to see the turning of the sea and others go in before him. If he were blind, he wouldn’t have seen the things he described while talking with Jesus. You may have an infirmity without name but that is not a hindrance to Jesus healing you. Doctors might have told you that your illness cannot be described and you are now worried. That sickness that has no name cannot stop you from receiving your healing from God.

2. It has lasted for 38 years. 38 years is not just 38 days. This is a long period. This prolonged illness has indeed taken a toll on this man as per friends and family members. It may have resulted in people deserting him. Your case may not have lasted for as much as 38 years. May be yours has lasted for 3 years, 5 years or more or even less. God can still do something for you. The numbers of years or months you have been on the sick bed or in that problem is not a determining factor to your healing. When God decides, He will do it. All you need is to keep believing Him and persevering.    

3. He had no helper – No family members or friends. This man in emotion laden voice told Jesus that he has no helper. May be the long period he has been on that sick bed led to his people to have forsaken him. May be they have lost all hope of his getting well and thus they dumped him by the pool of Bethesda perhaps one day relieve and help might come his way. However despite all these, this may did not give up or deicide to commit suicide rather he kept believing that someday help will come. You may have been deserted by friends, your family members would have given up on you because you are sick, things are not going on well with you, you are married and not a child to show for it after many years, etc. Never mind, God is able to bring you out of that sick bed or that problem and those who deserted you will come back to rejoice with you.

4. He was thus handicapped. The situation of this man as he described his case is pathetic. The summary of it all is that he is handicapped and cannot do anything for himself. However, God saw the sincerity of this man and came his way. Are you handicapped and has no one to help or assist you? I announce to you that you will also be remembered as this man was remembered by Jesus.

When Jesus came to the scene, He met him and asked if he wanted to be healed and his answer was in v7: “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jamieson Fausset-Brown commented on this v7 saying “Instead of saying he wished to be cured, he just tells with piteous simplicity how fruitless had been all his efforts to obtain it, and how helpless and all but hopeless he was. Yet not quite. For here he is at the pool, waiting on. It seemed of no use; nay, only tantalizing.” Continuing, he said, “Yet he will not go away. He may get nothing by staying, he may drop into his grave ere he gets into the pool; but by going from the appointed, divine way of healing, he can get nothing. Wait therefore he will, wait he does, and when Christ comes to heal him, lo! He is waiting for his turn. But he held on, and his perseverance was rewarded with a glorious cure. Probably some rays of hope darted into his heart as he told his tale before those Eyes whose glance measured his whole case. But the word of command consummates his preparation to receive the cure, and instantaneously works it.”

Many of us act usually like this man. When we are in the presence of God, we keep saying piteous things instead of tabling our problems before God. Trying to been seen as helpless and hopeless to attract mercies do not move God. That can move man but not God.  Many will rather complain than pray. This was what this man acted. Despite the piteous and not straight forward answer he gave, God in His compassion and mercies granted him healing. All his waiting was not in vain. At last the years he stayed there paid off for him.

In life we face problems. Life usually present it curve on our way. However it is dishearthening to note that many of us today do not know anything about perseverance. We do not want to persevere for anything. Paul noted in Romans Chapter 5 that there are benefits in perseverance. He said “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” – Romans 5:1 – 5.

Also Apostle Peter noted that “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This shows the importance of perseverance in our Christian race.

We are in Jet Age when people want things done immediately and we use such faith in wanting all things done for us immediately we approach God. Today we manifest all form of vices because we are impatient and cannot persevere. Some of those vices and ills are exam malpractice, broken marriages, rushing into marriage because we feel time is running out on us, insubordinate to authority at home, school, churches and offices, proliferation of churches, divisions here and there as a result of unwillingness to persevere, etc. It is said that a patient dog eats the fattest bone. Yes the Bible says in Mt 21:22: “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive”; this does not mean that God will arbitrarily grant us all we ask. He may delay it for a purpose and at the end it will be more glorious. Check the story of Elizabeth who gave birth to the greatest man ever born on earth and Manoah and his wife who gave birth to the strongest man ever lived, Syro-Phoenician woman despite all we may call ‘insult’ heaped on her by Jesus did not want to leave because she knew that Jesus is the only one that has the answer to her problem. There are many other cases. If you know that Jesus is the only one that has answer to that your problem of sickness, failure in business, no child after years of marriage, no intending spouse, failure in examinations, etc, you should learn to trust Him and keep persevering.

Conclusion: God loves us no doubt about that. However, we must learn to persevere till the end. We should not give to God half hearted commitment. It was Surgeon who said it all- ”You have received Christ; persevere in receiving him.  You have come to trust him; keep on trusting him.  You hang about his neck as a poor, helpless sinner; remain hanging there.  Abide in him.” As we continue trusting Him, hanging on Him and believing in Him, we will never loose.  

There are numerous ways to succeed in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. And although every single teacher is different in his/her own way, and have different levels of expectations, almost all teachers can respect distinct capabilities in their students. For example, punctuality can demonstrate a degree of reliability. Punctuation lies not only in the ability to be on time to all of your classes, but also to hand assignments in on time and do presentations on their assigned dates. Your reliability as a student can also be increased by the amount of work you put in. Asking and answering questions, engaging in class discussions and handing in only your personal best proves to teachers that you are dedicated and that you consider your education a priority. These simple tasks along with diligence and perseverance can help improve your credibility. This is important because when problems do arise unexpectedly—as they undoubtedly will—teachers are more willing to be lenient towards reliable students, than ‘flakers’. These qualities will not only earn your teachers respect, but help you further in the long run.

And why are these skills deemed so important? The answer is simple: they’ll help you for the rest of your life. In jobs of all fields, hard-working, diligent, responsible and reliable employees are recognized either by titles/awards (employee of the month, certificates of distinction), special benefits (point systems that translate into extra cash) or raises. Acquiring and perfecting these skills early on can help prepare you for the future and help you build valid references. Hence, teachers, aiming to prepare their students for the real world and working environments, actively search for the aforementioned skills and do their best to improve on them. Needless to say, natural intelligence isn’t all that matters.

In all honesty, it is easier to be born smart than to work hard at it. On the other hand, it builds character to work diligently towards a goal, rather than to have an accomplishment placed before you. What teachers want to see is not what a student has, but what a student is able to create for him/herself. It is one thing to be smart, it is another to be able to impart this knowledge upon others. What most individuals, especially students, do not understand is that teachers expect nothing less than what is expected of us from society: the drive to accomplish anything; from dissertations to your wildest dreams.

Life is hard, there are few people who will tell you otherwise and those who do are selling something. It’s easy to say we want to improve ourselves, it’s simple to tell the world you’re planning on reading a book today as to increase you vocabulary and comprehension. The simple truth of the matter is self-improvement is never easy, it takes dedication, hard work, discipline and a plethora of other traits to to achieve the improvement most of us are looking for, but if you’re looking for some optimism or hope that you can do this just remember this one thing, today will be over tomorrow and tomorrow will be over the day after that. If ever you fail in your quest for a more virtuous self just remember you need only wait a day for another chance at success.

Never give up after failure to change something in your life. This mentality of quitting after only one failure is the reason for so many failed attempts to quit smoking, lose weight, be noticed more, to become a better public speaker. If there ever was a better story to illustrate this point than Thomas Edison I would be skeptical of its truthfulness.Thomas Edison tried over 1,000 different materials for the filament in his light bulb invention. Take that in for a second and just imagine the incredible dedication, perseverance, hope and one would have to have to try over 1,000 times for success at any task! If you are ever struggling to change something in your life just know that another try is another chance at success and that another failure is another chance to learn how to succeed.

Your countries problems are not the fault of America but your own. Americans don’t have to legalize drugs just so your drug lords won’t kill you. You who are in charge can’t take charge or are unwilling to in Mexico; and you have the nerve to criticize anything the Americans do? You those that are suppose to be in charge cower to your drug lords while Americans suffer for your impotency. Your cowardice and impotency to protect your own people is why Americans have boarder problems.

America has every right to enforce border patrols and take whatever action is necessary according to American laws to keep people from illegally crossing those boarders. Mexico needs to grow up. The Mexican people need to grow up. Take a stand in your country and make Mexico what you want it to be and stop running away from your country.

They say America is a land of dreams and where dreams come true; truth is all nations can be that same way if you want it to, bad enough. The problem is most people would rather run from trouble then to stand for their beliefs. It doesn’t have to take a war to make changes. It doesn’t have to take murdering people to make the changes happen. It takes perseverance, patience in abundance, ingenuity and a willingness to try; and keep trying. The key is to have a vision for your country, state or home never give up and always have faith and hope. Try as best you can to stay within your morals without compromising them. There is nothing wrong with having high morals and good standards.

If you have all of the above start slowly and small with your home, neighborhood and community. Become the example community for others to follow. People should take care of their communities and their communities should take care of its own people. That is the beginning.

Running is no answer and never has been; it’s just a coward’s way. Runners are people that want to reap rewards without doing any of the hard work to make it that way. They don’t want to abide by laws that benefit all, but think of themselves as a special case. Anyone that enters any country illegally is a lawbreaker and deserves to be treated as such.

In America all American citizens are required to provide proof of citizenship whenever asked; ALL. There are no exceptions to that law; this includes any person holding any government office within the United States of America. America has guidelines for good reason; the protection of the American government and of the American People for which the American Government was designed to protect. Various radicals can place whatever labels or slang words they want to it; but the law is the law and it is there for the protection of the Legal American people living legally in America.

Mexico if you want to put down America let’s see you make a better country, take better care of your people, provide better living standard for your people and be a better example then America; then you will have reason to talk. Right now you sound like an engine in dire need of a major overhaul.

Now the question arises who is the architect of one’s life – one’s own self or a third person in one’s life. If a third person is going to decide our future, then what role do we have to play in our lives? If we are the architects of our own life, is there a role for an outsider in shaping the future events in our lives?

It is a well-known fact that to achieve success in life we require four basic ingredients: aspiration and inspiration, human endeavour, and perseverance. Aspiration means the wish to achieve something, in other words, a goal. Inspiration is something that provokes us to do something creative. It is inherent in us or, sometimes, comes from outside. For example, a painter or a poet may derive inspiration from nature to create a painting or a poem. In other words, what we want to achieve in life basically originates within us (either by aspiration or through inspiration derived from nature). To put it in a different way, we ourselves are the cause for starting of a project or the completion of the project, or realising our goal.

Now let us discuss the part played by human endeavour. It is said that Rome was not built in a day. To build a city, thousands of people have to toil day and night. Take for example an ornament or a sculpture. To produce one attractive ornament or a sculpture, a man has to work with concentration and dedication for several days or months, sometimes foregoing his immediate needs like food and sleep. The Taj Mahal in Agra involved thousands of man-hours of work spent on the project for a long time.

The third requirement for achieving success in life is perseverance. Perseverance is a kind of attitude. It is said ‘attitude determines one’s altitude’ or the extent to which one could soar in one’s life or career. Here I mean a determined attitude that makes one pursue his project in spite of the obstacles, failures, and setbacks on way to completion of a project or fulfilling a task. No monumental work or structure could ever be executed by hard work alone for hard work by itself does not ensure completion of the project. What counts most is the attitude of the people engaged in the task, for people are likely to face risks (physical, financial or emotional). Quite often, we discontinue our efforts at finishing a task owing to harsh criticisms (emotional setback) or suffering from an injury (physical setback). In other words, hard work means only half the success story of a person’s life or of a project. The never-say-dieattitude or the dogged determination to complete the task in the face of myriad difficulties, setbacks, or criticisms from the public is the ultimate factor in ensuring success in one’s life. The famous Brooklyn Suspension Bridge in New York is the best example for the perseverance of two individuals – John Roebling and Washington Roebling (father and son) – who in spite of their tragedies and travails ensured the successful completion of the bridge.

Last but not least, we require Divine grace to achieve success, without which our dreams may still remain unfulfilled. The following poem highlights  the pivotal role played by the Divine grace:

Efforts

Efforts need not bring results,

For efforts in themselves are not strong;

And what counts is the Divine grace

Even when things go wrong.

– K V Venkataramana in Reflections.

So let us shape our lives to achieve success by giving due importance to the ingredients of success.

Image via Wikipedia

Always keep in mind that you’re superior than what you believe you are. The best platform to stand on is one’s own feet. Before starting any difficult task just close your eyes, imagine your success in your minds eye, plan your steps and proceed forward. If others can do it then definitely you can do that too.

Step 2 #:         Success is not straight forward task. you need to do a lot of home work.

            Success depends on planning the things and executing them in the correct time; it also necessitates hard work, perseverance and dedication. Never give up a task in the fear of failing. The failures provide you an opportunity to learn more for achieving a better success. You don’t find any shortcuts to achieve success, learn from your failures, never repeat the mistakes done in the past, you got to accomplish the goals, reach the targets and carry the crown.

Step 3 #:         Don’t fear to take challenges.

            Never step back to take a challenge. Accept the challenges, the more risk you seize, there will be better success. It is better to be unsuccessful than not to try at all. Taking a risk is an opportunity you give yourself. Failures are the lessons on our way to success. Take it. There is no Challenge more challenging than the challenge to improve your self.

Step 4 #:         “Goals give you a compass in order to direct your path through life.

Name your goals and aver them. Goal Setting is an essential part of planning. Aim high, plan and execute with dedication and hard work. When setting your goals, be realistic and reasonable. You should also strive to be flexible. Which of your motivating factors can you work with to achieve your goal? If you find your instincts appear to conflict with your desires, work on changing these attitudes or behaviors so that you can open the path to success. Also make sure that your goals are measurable. By this, decide how you measure success. By listing the things that are most important to you, you will assure that those tasks are achieved first. Once you have identified your short and long term goals and priorities, it is time to begin to develop a plan to make them happen.

Step 5 #:         “The secret to getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one and Take Initiative.”

If you are going to step up and take initiative, make sure you do each job well. Remember, to run you have to stand first. Don’t hesitate to take the first step. Every end has to have a beginning. “There is only one time that is important – NOW! It is the most important time because it is the only time we have any power over.” People who excel at taking initiative usually must also persist in the ideas and actions in which they believe. Getting started is the best way to overcome fear. A good idea has no meaning unless it has been acted upon. Do today what you plan for tomorrow and see how it can work wonders to your career. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

Step 6 #:         “Don’t blame others, don’t give up your power to change. So be Accountable”

Accountability means more than just doing your job. It includes an obligation to make things better, to pursue excellence, and to do things in ways that further the goals.  When the responsibility is yours, never play victim, it never helps. Preparation is often the key to success in any endeavor. Analyze past situations and see how you could be responsible for situations. When your life is in your control, you can march to success. You will be more successful in convincing others that what you believe is the right thing if you are armed and ready with the facts.

Step 7 #:         “Don’t limit your choices to possible or reasonable. Extend your limits and quire the impossible.”

Don’t set any limits on yourself. You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get. A determined person can overcome any limitation. If you tell Life what it has to be, you limit it; but if you let Life show you what it wants to be it will open doors you never knew existed. Turning losses into profits is the sign of a winner. The wise will turn the tide, the fool will sink.

Step 8 #:         Discipline gives success to the weak, and pride to all. Be Disciplined.

Self discipline starts with the ability to control your behavior by motivating yourself to do the things you need to do, and impeding yourself from doing things that are not good for you. If you honor you commitments they will honor you. Real discipline is when you have trained your mind in such way that you consistently get the behavior you want. To be committed to your work you need to be disciplined. Self discipline doesn’t mean being immune to temptation. Set your goals in accordance with your values and focus on them. You can develop the willpower to say no. Learn where your confrontation is low, and don’t put yourself in those circumstances.

Step 9 #:         You are unique. dont under estimate yourself. Accept Yourself as you are.

When you accept yourself, the world accepts you. If you can’t love and respect yourself – no one else will be able to make that happen. Have high regard for yourself, but remember to have your feet grounded. Don’t try to be what your choices. No one can respect you more than you do. Stop grieving into what others think of you and how they see you. Understand that what some people may see as liability, some may see as quality. Therefore, the only constant is your own opinion, and since you know yourself better than anyone, start embracing everything that is great about you. They say that you’ll never know what is possible unless you strive for what is impossible.

Step 10 #:       change gives us opportunity, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights. Change, Learn, and Improve. 

Change is so persistent in our lives that it almost overwhelms explanation and scrutiny. If you don’t change you will become stagnant. Change is possible with determination and understanding of problems. There can be no learning without change and remember always change for the better.

Recognize your weaknesses and try to turn them into your strengths.

Do not be afraid of failure. Isn’t ‘failure a stepping stone to success’?

However successful you are, always be humble. Humility is the one virtue that has a high affinity for success.

Whenever you fail, analyse what you did and try to learn important lessons from the failure.

If you have a dream, a goal, put in your heart, mind and soul towards achieving it and invariably, you do achieve your goal. Even if you don’t, you will not feel miserable if you had given all of your 100% towards it.

Try not to compete with others. Just compete with yourself – try to get better and better each day. It doesn’t matter whether you won a gold, silver, bronze or nothing. What matters is, you did try. You only have to strive harder and keep persevering.

Believe in yourself and in all your convictions. Stay true to values that you cherish most all the time. Don’t get tempted to take short-cuts in your life. Remember what you achieve using a short-cut is short-lived.

Don’t punish yourself too hard when you fail. Also don’t go looking for alibis. Luck does matter but hardwork, determination, focus and perseverance can eventually make you get lucky sooner or later.

Don’t compare yourself with others. Every one of us is unique. It is good to be inspired by someone more successful than you but don’t delve on “if only…” all the time.

Too many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ can ruin the recipe of success. When looking at a problem, don’t focus on the problem but try to find a solution to it.

Don’t quit just because something or someone is intimidating. Change your approach, seek help, and keep working harder until you have found a solution. Remember, all the great inventors and discoverers in this world did not become famous overnight.

Gita Ashok

29/10/2010, 10 am

See the picture below. An ash gourd seed thrown around the coconut palm became a creeper on the ground and slowly climbed up the banana plant, then on to the nearby electric pole, and finally over the coconut frond and bore a flower. After pollination, a small ash gourd was formed, and it grew silently unnoticed by the passers-by on the road till it attracted their attention when it grew to a considerable size over a period of three months. Though nobody tended to the creeper, it grew all by itself solely depending on the rain and sunshine, holding aloft the ash gourd at a safe height free from the fear of trespassers. Though a tender creeper, it is surprising to note how it bore the 5-kg weight of the ash gourd at a height of over 20 feet; it speaks volumes of its innate strength and determination to achieve the impossible feat. 

Photo by the Author. 

The creeper shown in the above picture epitomizes the saying,”Where there is a will, there is a way.”  With positive attitude, students, too, could achieve the challenging tasks before them provided they take care not to be influenced by the negative tendencies of their colleagues. Positive attitude paves way to success in all spheres and all hard work will come to naught if one does not possess a positive attitude. Shall we say that if á thousand mile’s journey begins with a single step, then that single step could rightly be called the positive attitude?

We pen our negative psychological state on people through cursing, sarcasm, frowning and yelling. Write down your feelings. It’s therapeutic for the mind, body and soul. Why lose your hair and destroy your health? By writing things down you’re confronting a problem in a non confrontational way.

These thoughts you can keep in a journal or notepad. It represents a moment of confusion and clarity that can help you and other people. Everyone experiences similar emotions in life. Some want to inflict pain on themselves or people. Your progression into happiness and fruitful thinking can inspire the masses to take control of their lives.

Can you imagine people writing letters and emails to thank you for changing their lives? It’s wonderful when you encourage people to feel and do better. Also, you can take your words and write self help books, movies, or novels.

Imagine winning prestigious awards for writing. During the bad times you didn’t think of attaining recognition for depression, anger, self doubt, or fear. But the world loves your honesty and perseverance through challenging times.

Don’t give up on life. Write to free yourself and others.