Winning One Step at a Time

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  2 Cor. 12:9

I have had a couple of encounters lately with people who are going through a difficult season in life. They are experiencing challenges, the circumstances of which are largely out of their control.  There are good days and days where they are completely weary, not knowing how they will go forward.

During one of these conversations I observed that they had been navigating the struggle for many months and at the beginning of it all they probably would have said they could not have proceeded as far down the road as they already have.  They had conquered many days when the Enemy told them to give up – that it wasn’t worth it.  Yet they did not give up and that is victory.  They can approach tomorrow with the knowledge that they have exhibited strong character, faithfulness and perseverance.  That is highly honorable.

Walter Elliott describes perseverance this way. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.”

I don’t know what you are facing today, but don’t miss the victories you have had each day that you did not quit. Each of those is a stake in the ground that serves as fuel and courage for what lies ahead. The Scripture above promises that God will provide the strength we need each day at a time.  Life is a series of moment by moment experiences with God present in each one, providing the strength needed for each one.  Don’t underestimate the value of single, tenacious steps forward.  There will be many days in our lives where that is winning. And that is worth celebrating.

I love this observation from Eric Sevareid: 

“Tenacity is a pretty fair substitute for bravery, and the best form of tenacity I know is expressed in a Danish fur trapper’s principle: ‘The next mile is the only one a person really has to make.’”

Start the next mile this morning, the rest of them will come soon enough.

Live this week on purpose,
Ron Klopfenstein