Perseverance

Question: What do you call the student that finishes last in their Medical School Class.

Answer: "Doctor."

This Sunday, I will be preaching from Romans 5. I am looking forward to focusing on verses 3-5. Paul was inspired to write:"...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."

Whenever I hear the word "perseverance," I am reminded of my educational experiences. Many folks told me when I was in the Ph.D. program at New Orleans Baptist Seminary that the key to completing a doctorate had little to do with intelligence and writing ability. The key to finishing is perseverance, just getting it done.At times, some professors appeared to be invested in failure. While that's probably not true, teachers do want to know that a student can push through criticism and adversity to complete a task. My doctoral journey lasted over a decade. However, I have a great sense of accomplishment. I am still not sure how God desires me to use the degree, but I am convinced he wanted me to complete it in order to be obedient to His will.

The Greek Word for "perseverance" means to stand firm in the face of hostile forces. Mounce describes the verb form of the word as a akin to what a weight-lifter does as he (or she) "bears up under the weight of the bar." A closely related word to perservance is endurance.As Paul wrote in Romans 5, the ability of a person to persevere shapes and reveals our character. Our level of commitment and trustworthiness is demonstrated by our ability to withstand the many stressors that barrage us.

An Account of an Accounting Class

After I graduated from, what is now, William Carey University, I decided to attend Mississippi State University to pursue a Masters of Business Administration. While I had made a decision to enter the ministry, I wanted to get my degree and enter into the Christian Music Industry in some way. However, as I look back on the experience, I was not totally committed to the idea. I should have gone directly to Seminary from college, but, in some ways, I was running from what I believe I was destined to do.

At MSU, I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about others. I learned about perseverance. An experience I had in a section of ACCOUNTING I made a great impression upon me.

This basic course was the first requirement for students planning to major in Accounting. The professor teaching the class had been at MSU for several years. The classroom was packed the first day of class. While I was 21 at the time and only needed the class as a prerequisite for getting into the MBA program, many of the students were 17 or 18 years old. These green freshmen had declared Accounting as a major.

The first week of class was facilitated by a Graduate Assistant. She gave assignments and administered a test on the third day of class. The Professor responsible for the class made his first appearance at the class meeting following our test. He distributed the graded papers and announced that the highest grade was 68. I think I made a 50. Then he said, "If you can't pass this test, I am sure you won't pass this course. Also, I doubt you will ever have a future in accounting." He proceeded to teach that day in an arrogant and condescending manner.

As a result of the test results and the professors attitude, by the time of the next class meeting almost half of the class had dropped the course. This means a large number of the freshmen had changed their major. The professor began that class meeting with the statement, "I've been thinking about the results of that first test and I have concluded that it was unfair to expect you to successfully complete such an examination withoout the proper guidance. So, I have decided to disregard your performance on the test and start over."

For the remainder of the semester, the instructor was amiable and proved to be a great teacher.The motive of the professor in giving a test impossible to pass was to see how many students really wanted to be accountants. Once he had forced the uncommitted students to withdraw, he was able to teach a class of willing and focused learners.

Why We Can Persevere

We can endure hard times because God has "poured his love into our hearts." When we think of the length to which God has gone to demonstrate his love for us, we can persevere. As God develops our character, we realize there are no hopeless situations with God. We have hope in Christ Jesus.