Stubborn or Persistent?

Good morning my dear PEPpers and other far flung family and friends!

It is a beautiful sun-filled morning in Fort Mill today and all is well in the Kemp home.  I pray the same for you (at least the “all is well” part).

As you may have noticed, I’ve been working through the new quotations I highlighted from Charles Stanley’s book: “Success God’s Way.”  The one I added to my quotation log today was:

• “Persistence is the one trait that you are going to find in the life of every person who has achieved something worthwhile.” _ Charles Stanley, Success God’s Way, pg. 218

I have learned that being persistent is not enough.  You can be persistent at banging your head against a wall but that will do nothing but give you a severe headache.  You can be persistent in practicing bad habits but that deserves no accolades.  What makes persistence worthwhile is seeking to achieve something worthwhile. 

Harry R. Kemp, the man I'm privelege to call "dad"

I know many people that confuse stubbornness and laziness with persistence.  Being persistent will require many changes in your life.  Stubbornness and laziness is resistant to change.  The reason so many relationships (marriages, etc.) are unfulfilling is that people are stubborn and lazy.  If they were persistent they would keep working and changing and growing in order to achieve a better relationship.  You do not drift into a fulfilling relationship (with a person or with God); it requires wise, focused, and determined persistence.  This is true of any worthy goal.

I like the way Zig Ziglar put it: “You become great by doing small things in a great way.” _Zig Ziglar, You Can Reach the Top,  p. 86

Well, I pray that you will be persistent in growing in your relationship with God today and if you are a local PEPper, I hope to see you at church tomorrow.

On a closing note I would like to send out a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dad today.  “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!”