Sermon On Persistence

Roy T. Bennett, the author of “The Light in the Heart: Inspirational Thoughts for Living Your Best Life” once remarked: "Keep going. Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end." Luke 18:1-5 states: "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward, he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'"

Persistence is defined as: "The fact of continuing in an opinion or course of action despite difficulty or opposition." It can include endurance, determination, tenacity, and perseverance to name but a few. Galatians 6:9 reminds us: "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” It may include a burning desire to accomplish something dear to one's heart. Problems may occur along the path to success which may, in themselves, often produce setbacks, but these are usually overcome through a determined commitment and resolve.

Motivation is often considered the key to success. It unlocks the doors of life and allows us to pursue our wildest dreams. It is an essential quality in achievement. It shows others what can be attained with the right attitude and endurance. Hebrews 12:1-2 confirms: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

There was once a young woman who had been adopted shortly after her birth by a loving and caring couple who were currently living in the village of Kersey in Suffolk. They doted on their adopted daughter and resolved to do their best to give her a secure and happy childhood. They had always treated the child as if she was their own offspring and were determined to give her the best possible chance in life. They never made any secret of the fact that she had been adopted which often made the child wonder, as she grew older, who her real mother was.

They tried to be truthful in their answers to her many questions but were extremely restricted in their knowledge as so much had remained unanswered. Her natural mother had offered the child for adoption purely on the reason that she was a single unmarried person who was struggling to make a career in a local newspaper office. The father had disappeared shortly after hearing the news that he was about to enter fatherhood. It was believed that the natural mother had been reluctant to relinquish her child, but felt that it was the only practical solution in her individual circumstances. With the additional knowledge that if she had kept the child, her employment status would have been severely restricted as she would either have to spend much time caring for her or be required to pay exorbitant prices for a minder. This fact eventually finalized her difficult decision in the matter.

When she attained the age of eighteen, the young woman, who loved her adoptive parents, asked them if they would have any objection to her undertaking a search for her natural mother. Exodus 20:12 reminds us: "Honour your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." They agreed that if that was her wish, they would not stand in her way. She did realize that it would be a difficult task that would require persistence and fortitude as she had no idea where her mother might be living or indeed, if she was still alive. She asked her adoptive parents if they had any idea of her mother's name or where she might be living, but they were unable to help. They had previously been informed that the mother had refused to provide her name to the prospective adopters for fear of reducing a stable relationship with their new child. The donor on the adoption certificate was named at the mother’s request as "Anonymous." She decided that her first port of call should be the hospital where she had been born to ascertain if they had any past records still in existence. Happily, it was a fruitful enquiry, although the hospital administrator did inform her that they were not allowed to give out personal information on a previous patient, they felt empathy in her case and would make an exception. They searched their files and found that her mother's name had been recorded as Mary Pritchard and her address at that time was stated to be in the village of Horning in Norfolk. She went to the address given, but unfortunately, she discovered that her mother had moved on several years earlier, however, the present owners did have a forwarding address in case of any mail received which was stated to be in the village of Wroxham, a few miles away. She checked the electoral register for that area and to her surprise, she discovered her mother's name was still extant as the sole occupier. She went to the address given and knocked on the door. Leviticus 19:3 states: "Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father."