I enjoyed listening to Olympic athlete Ruben Gonzalez who will participate in the Vancouver Winter Olympics this month at age 47, his fourth Olympic participation. He said God gives you a dream and God gives you all the power, as his story proves out. His dream was to be an Olympic athlete, but the obstacle was that he isn’t athletic. After researching all sports he settled on the luge, thinking lying down on a sled can’t be too difficult. He found that the courage to persevere after crashes and injuries was the difference between success and failure to reach his dream.
Courage is crucial. Luke 21:19 says “by your perseverance you will gain your lives”. Romans 5:3 says “exult in tribulation, knowing tribulation brings about perseverance”. James 1:12 says “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial…” Perseverance is just a big word that means you will never quit. A famous quote from Winston Churchill is the simple message: “Never, Never, Never QUIT”. As we all know there are forces against us designed to discourage us and cause us to want to quit during times of trial. A plan to persevere shows wisdom. Start by listening to those who have proven they won’t quit.
Ruben Gonzalez said there are 5 steps that he believed would propel anyone to unstoppable success in any endeavor. 1) Create your own team of people who believe in you and who will encourage you during challenges. 2) Find an arena you are suited to. 3) Have the courage to take action and get started. 4) Have the courage to endure, to go all the way no matter what. 5) Develop the attitude that you’re willing to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes. Walt Disney said “All dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”. The price of regret is 100 times more than the price of success. Choosing the endeavor is a starting point of success for each of us.
I would suggest the first two steps mentioned are often harder than the perseverance that follows. There are far more critics than believers, and relationships are often complicated. The arena that you are suited to should be linked with your dream, or it’s just a daydream. Ruben found that his hardheaded passion was a more important link than his athletic ability, but not in any sport. The clarity needed to view ourselves accurately can often come from those same people that love and believe in us if we listen. That trust requires an investment of time and understanding of perspective.
The winner of a race is not determined until the end, but don’t be concerned if you view those ahead of you. In the 1992 Olympics Derek Redmond injured a hamstring, and after falling down, stood up and decided to finish the race. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nifq3Ke2Q30 Helped by his father (who believed in him) across the finish line, the example of courage to finish is remembered to this day, while the “winner” of the race is long forgotten. The Apostle Paul said in Acts 20:24 “But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace”.
