Thirteen Bible Verses About Perseverence

​If you caught my Facebook Live Video last week, I mentioned that this is a really busy and chaotic season in my life.  This time of year, every year, is stuffed full of events and outings that we don’t typically do the rest of the year.  The feeling of go-go-go and very little rest can make me feel pretty defeated.  While I’m constantly doing things, I’m not really getting ahead on anything.  It’s as if my whole life moves forward at lightning speed without my permission while I attempt to cling to time with my family.

Often towards the end of a busy season, my personal care, consistent exercise and even goals I had for my business have fallen to the wayside for the sake of “business”.  It leaves me with a really frustrated feeling that I’ve let everything on my schedule rule the way I do my day to day life.  It can feel exhausting when I’m in the middle of this conflict between “doing all the things” and keeping my life simple and grounded.  How can I keep going at this pace?  How can I fit all of these things into 24 hours?!  

I’m sure you know that feeling all to well yourself.  But as I am faced with this tiring, overwhelmed feeling, I know that what I need is to persist and continue working towards what my goals are. 

Sometimes goals take a back seat.  Sometimes we have to take a step back and focus on all of the other things going on in our lives.  But even when this is the case, the best thing I’ve realized is that I don’t have to hit “pause” on these dreams and goals.  Instead, we can move forward, even if it’s a fraction of what you wanted to accomplish, you’re still moving forward.

​I’ve had seasons where my clean house took a back seat to everything else going on.  But I didn’t neglect it completely.  I did what I could with the time I had to clean the bare minimum.  The same goes for personal care.  At this season of my life, personal care is about 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night.  A few years ago it was half of that and in a few years, it may be different again.  Even if it’s not what I planned, I can still take care of myself with what I do have.

All of these examples have one thing in common:  persistence.  Being persistent has two meanings, one being continuing your course of action even though it’s difficult.  And the other meaning is a prolonged existence of something.  Either of these definitions mean the same thing to me: Doing what it takes and moving forward, even if slowly. 

It is SO okay to do things more slowly than you want.  My opinion is that sometimes, there are benefits to this.  When I pray for God to grant me something on my time table and it doesn’t happen, I get frustrated.  It’s a natural human reaction I suppose.  But this frustration either makes me work harder, rethink how I’m going about something or it makes me sit back and say, “You’ve got this, God.  I trust you.”  In that last scenario I may learn to be patient.  

​But all the while, I keep persisting.  I don’t sit back and do nothing.  I’m always moving forward, even if at snail’s pace.  God persists with us too.  He is our “prolonged or continued existence.” He’s always there, constantly listening, constantly guiding.  

Examples and scripture about being persistent is all over His Word too.  He’s given us such a great tool and such a great opportunity to learn through His Word.  Perseverance is what many of Jesus’ disciples had while the spread the Word.  They were doing something despite it being difficult.  They were moving forward, even if not at their pace.

The definition of perseverance is being persistent in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.  Notice it doesn’t mean giving up on success, just that there is a delay in achieving it.

As I’m headed in to my busy season, I’m keeping this arsenal of Bible Verses about perseverance and persistence handy to remind myself that even though I’m chronically “busy” this season, I will still move forward.  I will continue to grow, evolve and accomplish my goals even when I’m out of time for the day.  I will continue to be persistent as I slowly move forward in this season.

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1. Hebrews 12:1:  “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
2. Colossians 3:23 “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people.”
3. Proverbs 4:12 “When you walk, you won't be held back; when you run you won’t stumble.”
4. James 1:12 “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.  Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."
5. Romans 8:18 “The pain that you’ve been feeling can’t compare to the joy that’s coming.”
6. Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying.”
7. I John 4:4 “But you belong to God. You already won a victory.”
8. Psalm 4:5-6 “God is in her she will not fall.”
9. Colossians 1:11-12 “Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light."
10. Galations 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
11. Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying…”
12.  Ecclesiastes 9:11 “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”
13. 1 Corinthians 13:7 “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”