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By Rick Warren — 01/28/2025
Nothing great is ever accomplished without patience, persistence, determination,
and endurance.
“But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!”
Habakkuk 2:3 (TLB)
If you don’t make plans in life, you’re just going to drift. As we’ve been learning in Genesis 24, the story of Eleazar gives helpful steps for getting where you want to go.
We’ve already learned why it’s important to:
Determine your present position
Describe exactly what you want
Find a promise from God
Ask God for help
Identify the barriers
Create a step-by-step plan
Today we’re going to look at another step: Be patient and persistent.
Accomplishing big goals in your life isn’t going to happen overnight. The bigger your goal, the longer it will take. The more significant your goal, the more time and energy will be involved. Reaching goals takes time and discipline.
Nothing great is ever accomplished without patience, persistence, determination, and endurance. I suggest that you set big goals and spend the rest of your life going after them.
Eleazar did this. Genesis 24:21 says, “The servant watched [Rebekah] in silence, wondering whether or not the LORD had given him success in his mission”(NLT). And Genesis 24:33 says, “Then food was served. But Abraham’s servant said, ‘I don’t want to eat until I have told you why I have come.’ ‘All right,’ Laban said, ‘tell us’” (NLT).
He was an example of great patience and persistence.
Here’s the point: For you to reach your goals, you’re going to have to learn how to delay gratification.
The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people do things unsuccessful people are unwilling to do.
Successful people often do things they don’t feel like doing. Successful people know how to delay gratification. They do the right, tough thing before they do the fun, enjoyable thing.
The Living Bible paraphrase says,“But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” (Habakkuk 2:3).
God says it’s going to happen—but it’s going to take a while. One of the marks of maturity is learning the difference between no and not yet.
And God is more interested in what you are than what you do. He’s much more interested in your character than your career. Because you’re not taking your career to heaven. You are taking your character. So while you’re working on your goal, God is working on you.
Talk It Over
Think about something big you’ve accomplished. How long did it take you to reach that goal?
How did God work on you while you worked toward your goal?
As you think about the big goals you have today, what is one hard thing you need to do before a fun thing you’d like to do?
Thank you for this message! XThis stretches out from the page and into my life. The changes I am experiencing in this stage of my life requires diligence and strength - and the ability to say no to instant gratification. Makes me look at myself critically and with conscience. Father, I am grateful for your blessings and challenges! I pray for forgiveness of sin, for strength for this ministry and the great things to come!