Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 
Hebrews 12:1, NIV

There have been several studies in recent years about the impact doing difficult tasks has on the human brain. Consistently working to improve or complete challenging objectives grows different parts of the brain. One study taught people how to juggle and had them work and practice and become proficient. The visual and motor skills areas of their brains increased, giving them even more ability to succeed. 

While this idea can have a lot of impact on our daily lives and the idea that you can actually teach an old brain new tricks, it applies to other areas of life as well. 

All of my life I’ve heard the joke about not praying for patience because God will make you wait so He can teach it to you, but the truth is, that’s the only way to gain patience. Just like practicing is the only way to learn a sport. Yes, God can miraculously bequeath Olympic level abilities on your body, but unless there’s a holy and God-honoring reason to do so, He isn’t going to do it. 

God designed us to be able to learn, to grow, to adapt, and to change and this system is the one we need to use to improve. 

What if we want to improve our faith? Our prayer-life? Our compassion? What do we ultimately need to do that? 

Perseverance

Hebrews 11 is a list of people who did hard things through their faith in God. It includes people such as Jacob, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, and Isaac. There’s a longer section about Abraham, whose life we have a long account of. We can see the strengthening of his faith over time as he continues to stretch it and rely on it beyond the ways he did before. This list is followed by the first verse of Hebrews 12, which says these people should encourage us to run with perseverance. 

No one in that list was perfect and persevering doesn’t mean you always get it right. In order to persevere, you get back up when you fall, you constantly strive for the next level, you conquer obstacles instead of falling beneath them. 

Don’t Quit

There will be times you have to step away from a certain group of people or abandon a particular course of action. Sometimes this is because all people – yourself included – are prone to sinful, selfish behaviors and that can make a mess, and sometimes it’s because we took a wrong turn or circumstances have changed and we need to adapt. 

What we can’t quit on is following God. We can’t stop trying to be more Christ-like. We can’t stop pursuing the calling God gave us. And we can’t stop loving other people. 

Perseverance is hard because we have to keep showing up and doing the difficult things. We have to keep putting aside those sinful inclinations. We have to keep learning who God is and what holy means. 

Maybe it’s talking to people you’d rather never speak with again. Perhaps it’s putting away a hobby, habit, or pastime that is drawing you away from God. Maybe it’s staying.Or perhaps it’s leaving. 

Whatever it is, know this. Science is proving what the Bible has already told us. The secret to growth, the secret to success, is perseverance. The tenacity to keep going after the ultimate goal, even if it’s a tiny baby step at a time, will bring more success than giving up ever will.