Have you ever gone to a ballgame and gotten frustrated by the way your favorite team was playing? Have you ever gotten up and left because your favorite team was so far behind? Has your favorite team ever made a comeback and gone on to eventually win the game?
They won because they did not quit.
What about you and your dreams? Do you find trying to achieve them frustrating? Do you ever feel like quitting? Have you quit?
Much like a ball team, we need to see things through until the final buzzer. Anything can happen.
Do you have what it takes to persevere to overcome?
Overcoming to the point of success can only happen if you are willing to persevere in the face of opposition (Part 1). It can only happen if you don’t quit because of frustration (Part 2). And finally, it can only happen if you see the task through to the end (Part 3).
Overcome Obstacles –
Think about a time when you succeeded. What were some of the obstacles that you had to overcome? How hard was that really? At the time, the obstacles may have seemed insurmountable, but looking back on it now they probably don’t because you succeeded.
Now think about your dream. What is one obstacle that stands in your way? Ask yourself if it is really an obstacle, or if it is just a matter of having to apply yourself.
Many times we just don’t want to go the extra mile to overcome what is between success and us. Maybe whatever the obstacle is, it appears to be too hard. Maybe it appears to be out of our budget. Maybe we just don’t know where to start! Maybe we just don’t have enough faith.
And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Matthew 9:2-8
We know that Jesus healed many people. Have you ever stopped to consider the faith of those He healed?
What if those folks had refused to believe? What if the man in the story had refused to stand up and walk when Jesus said, “Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house”?
If the man had not had the faith to try to arise, he may not have ever discovered that he could. Sometimes what we believe makes all the difference. You’ve heard me say it before. What you believe is your reality.
In order to be able to overcome an obstacle, you’re going to have to have faith that you can. Most of all, you are going to have to want to overcome it. Wanting something – being passionate about something – will carry you through the rough times. If you have ever tried to speak a foreign language, play a musical instrument, or type, you know what I’m talking about. Unless you have a gift for it, you may have reached a point where you had to work a little harder to succeed. The one thing that will fuel your determination at this point is your passion.
If you are not passionate about what you are doing, it’s harder to get through the tough spots.
If you have ever stuck it out through a learning curve, you know that eventually things will get easier. The tough point won’t last forever. You just need to be persistent.
LIFE APPLICATION
Sometimes the biggest obstacles to our success are a lack of faith that we can succeed, and a lack of passion for the task. Without faith, success seems out of reach, and in a way it is. Without passion, the journey may seem overwhelming even when it’s not. Be passionate about your dream. Learn to walk by faith – faith in God and faith in yourself – as you tackle obstacles in your path.