Be Persistent
BP is not just an oil company for us, it is a reminder to be prayerful, to be positive, to be patient, to be practical, and lastly today, to be persistent.
One of my own character flaws is a tendency to rush into something with too much intensity, and then give it up when I crash. I often end up doing that with exercise routines, or reading plans. I will try too much too soon, because I feel strong when I start, but then when life gets busy and I get tired, I realize I've taken on too much and it all crashes down.
I need to learn to do smaller things more consistently. I will be able to persist in such things, unlike the big projects that end up being too much.
Persistence Despite Opposition
I think this applies to growth of our Christian faith too. We need to be persistent in prayer and in devotion and in worship and in connecting with God for our faith to progress. John G. Butler, in a sermon about getting help from God, says this: "If you want something from God you will have to be persistent in obtaining it. Many do not get much from God because they are not persistent enough to fight off a bit of opposition. We must remember that when we want God's blessing, there will be opposition to our obtaining these blessings. If you want them you will have to evidence that you want them enough to not be deterred by opposition."
There will be opposition in your Christian life. The enemy is going to try and knock you down. He is going to try and keep you from God, and get you doing things that are not of God, and then get you to wallow in your guilt. It's a terrible cycle but Satan is an expert at getting us to do this. But what we should be doing is persisting - consistently putting God first and living a lifestyle in which this can be seen. We need to persist and not chop and change and go up and down.
Never Give In
Of course, our moods and energies will not be consistent, that is part of being human. But I wonder how often we let our fluctuating moods and feelings dictate our lives, to our own detriment? I wonder how much more productive we might be if we persisted in what we are called to do even through fluctuating energies and states of mind?
Do you remember Winston Churchill's famous address to the students at Harrow in 1941? At one point in the speech he said this: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense."
Maybe when you next drive past a BP garage you'll be reminded to be persistent - to never, never, give in, but to keep on walking the road you're on, and to keep on doing the things God has called you to do, trying as they may be.
God is with you, and with God with you, you can persist through any number of trials and hardships.
So be prayerful. Be positive. Be patient. Be practical. And in all these things, be persistent!
