Begin again!

‘And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly’ (Mark 8:24-25)

'It always seems impossible until it is done’ (Nelson Mandela). Perseverance is a primary requirement for Success. This is because, life is a learning process and success does not always come on the first try. Thomas Edison failed over 10,000 times before successfully inventing the modern electric light bulb. Finally he said, `If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward’.

In Mark 8 Jesus prayed for a blind man and he was not fully healed until Jesus prayed again for the second time. Elijah the prophet prayed for seven times before there was rain after three years and six months of drought (1 Kings 18:44). ‘God's people had faith, and when they had walked around the city of Jericho for seven days, its walls fell down’ (Hebrews 11:30).

The fact that you are failing in an endeavour today, does not necessarily mean that you are out of God’s will. Paul the Apostle was one of the most persecuted Apostles, but finally his contributions to the Early Church and the New Testament was unequivocal.

Jesus promised us an abundant life, but abundant life isn't the absence of adversity, it is growth in the midst of it. When you experience times of testing, you've two choices: give up, or grow up. Without obstacles we'll always be ordinary! Hard times paralyze some people, yet energize others. You can't always control what happens to you, but you can decide how you'll respond to it. What can seem impossible is often possible with courage.

The most important thing is to know the will of God concerning your dream. If your dream is God’s will for your life, He will make provision for the vision and bring it into fruition in His time. So whatever difficulties you're facing today, draw on God's grace and keep trying. '...You have heard of the perseverance of Job...' (James 5:11)

Remember, the world never denies a persistent person and the thing to try when all else fails is begin again. The next lesson will be, ‘God is waiting on you’.