26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
Overcoming is a difficult process. Too many of us give up before things get really tough. We learn early in life that life is not supposed to be too difficult. When we get frustrated as a kid, if we scream loud enough, someone will rescue us from our frustration. That is OK for an infant and toddler, but there comes a time when kids have to learn to tie their own shoes. They have to learn to stick with a task until it is done, even when the task is unpleasant. Kids need to learn the value of not giving up, even when the going is tough. This is best facilitated when the child knows their parents are there providing them a safety net, just in case. The encouragement of parents, the safety and security they provide, is one of the primary roles that parents play. Kids will learn and absorb from their environment if we as parents provide a consistent platform from which they can venture and to which they can return. We become the home port, the hub of their flights into the world. The more consistent we are, the more confident they become. Unfortunately, too many people have not grown up in this type of stable environment. There were not stable, consistent, available adults in their world. Instead, chaos and confusion reigned. I our spiritual lives, this is often also the case. We need consistent examples of how to live the Gospel in our lives. We need to see Jesus with flesh, people living the Good News day in and day out. When we see believers living and being real through the inevitable troubles in life, we learn that it is possible to overcome, to stick with faith even in the hard times. Perhaps we never had the opportunity to see that with our families, but we need to see it in the family of believers. That is why it is so important for us to be genuine in our faith. We need to be transparent about our struggles and our victories. This is a long-haul commitment. Those that continue to the end, those are the ones that are pleasing to God. They will enjoy the rewards. Are you giving up?
The Arnold Journey 