Have you ever watched two dogs size each other up before the dog fight begins? They circle, sniff, and measure their weight against the challenge before them. But what you can't see is their self-confidence, degree of courage, or know how many previous dogs fights they've won. Often, it's not the size of the dog in the fight that will determine the winner, but the size of the fight in the dog who wins. Success is like that.
If you only measure your successes
by your failures,
then how will you ever know
what true success is?
Where do you see success in your life? What is the tool that measures your success? Do you compare yourself to other's and if you are doing a little bit better financially, or have a bigger home, or have a better-looking family, does this mean success? Do you conversely compare and see yourself as a failure? Do you look only at the challenge and see it as bigger than you, and quit before you have a chance to win? Or are you tenacious, unrelenting, and determined beyond reasoning? Do you choose to enter the fight knowing you risk everything, even while knowing the odds of winning are stacked against you?
Definition of Tenacity (Oxford University): "The quality or fact of being able to grip something firmly or being determined. The quality or fact of continuing to exist. Persistence."
Life is filled with challenges, and you may be in the fight of your life. Not everything you value is worth fighting for. I wouldn't fight for "things", but I will fight to the death to protect family and those I love. We strive to hold onto that which we know and love, the familiar, the comforts of the past, people, places, and things. We place a high value on people and experiences that have brought meaning to an otherwise meaningless life. And we desire to keep them safe for all time.
If we are not paying attention, we can become distracted and not be as tenacious as we once were. We can struggle to regain our grip, only to find our grip has gone weak, and over time we can lose hold of the things we held most precious. We also can be vulnerable to those who would rip from us that which we value most. Parents who have been asleep at the wheel are now waking to find someone else is at the wheel and they are driving their children toward destruction. Now that they are awake, parents are determined to get back in the driver's seat and regain control and protect their children from harm. They have chosen to be tenacious and persistent and they are confident the fight will be won.
“Be careful! Watch and pray."
Mark 13:33