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Welcome to the Determined to Dance podcast with your host, Jennifer Hallmark. Today’s episode, “5 Life-Changing Lessons Perseverance Teaches” looks at the virtues and their opposites when it comes to persevering.

Are you ready? The world would have us march to its chaotic beat but God invites us to dance in His will and His way. Let’s take a moment to be energized, refreshed, and motivated to face the day, one spin and twirl at a time.

Show Notes: 5 Life-Changing Lessons Perseverance Teaches

Episode 20. Wow, I’m halfway through the first season on the Determined to Dance Podcast and I’m so thankful. God is good and has kept me on track. And I really appreciate all the positive feedback I’ve had from you, the listeners. It means more than you’ll ever know.

Back to perseverance. Last week, we looked at the definition. The ability to move forward in the face of difficulty or with little to no prospect of success. We do this daily. Raising toddlers, going to work, and managing family relationships can be difficult. Writing a book, learning a new skill, or starting a diet or exercise program can seem to have little hope of success. But we keep trying. We step onto the dance floor and take God’s hand as He leads us in His will and way.

Why? Because we want to be close to God. And we also believe that our lives can be changed for the better as we persevere. Virtues or moral excellence can emerge if we press on in spite of what we are facing in life

Five virtues we learn from perseverance are:

1. Patience
2. Courage
3. Empathy
4. Endurance
5. Hope

I’ve heard people talk about this before. One thing that they don’t always mention is that we can learn virtues or we can turn to the exact opposite when the pressure is on.

Instead of the positive aspects, we could learn:

1. Impatience
2. Fearfulness
3. Insensitivity
4. Compliance
5. Despair

I’ve experienced these myself, especially fearfulness and despair. When the going gets tough, I often want to hide in a closet, covered with a blanket, and wonder why I ever thought I could make it. My writing and the search for health are where I struggle most.

How did I ever think I could succeed as a writer? I become impatient with myself over my lack of consistency. Fearful that I won’t ever reach my goals. Insensitive to my family when I move into self-pity. Compliant because I’ll excessively obey rules to the point that it destroys my story. All this leads to despair over my chosen career.

And it’s exactly the same with diet or exercise. And a lot of other things. Can you see it? Do you struggle to or am I the only one?

Perseverance is suddenly out the window and I’ve given myself over to the opposite of the virtues I want to display in my life. Like Paul said in Romans 7:15 (NLT)

“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.”

What are ways we can tackle our go-to negative patterns when the pressure becomes great?

1. Go to Jesus. Paul goes on to say in verse 25, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord…” We cry out for help, for wisdom and discernment, and for the ability to persevere. He longs for us to ask.
2. Talk it out with a friend. Bring the problem to light and we can find accountability and healing when we don’t hide our issues.
3. It often helps to write; not only how I feel but the way I’d like to feel and act. Recording positive goals and giving some structure to our problems often takes away their immensity and reduces them to a manageable size.

Lately, I’m struggling to persevere when it comes to exercise. Last December, I had ankle surgery on compressed nerves, then endured three months of grueling therapy. After leaving therapy, I’ve had trouble staying motivated. It’s much easier to read a book instead of making my step count. It’s more fun to float on a raft than to exercise my ankle in the pool.

I mean, I’m getting older so why keep trying? Before I even know it, I’ve moved into self-pity and off the dance floor once again.

But the difference is I’ve learned what to do. I stop wallowing, cry out to Jesus, call a friend, and pull out my trusty journal or the Notes app on my phone. I take time to stop the downward slide and before I know it, I’m gliding and spinning once again to the beat of the music. And practicing the virtues of perseverance.

Let’s take a moment to pray: Father God, we need you every moment of every day. Help us to see when we are losing the ability to move forward. It so often sneaks up on us and suddenly we’re caught up in despair. You are the God of hope and faith and love. Shower us with your blessed presence once again so we can move in step with you. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

In the future, I’ll remember to pray, call, and journal. I hope you do too. Next week, we’ll talk about our first virtue when it comes to persevering: patience.

Until then, stay determined to dance.

Links:

My website

My debut novel, Jessie’s Hope

Definition of Persevere

Remember: 5 Life-Changing Lessons Perseverance Teaches

Video of the week:

I absolutely love music and each week I’d like to share a relevant song we can enjoy together.