Sportsmen and women would readily agree that skill and speed are essential things they must have in their kits to make a success of their career. However, as important as skill and speed are, they are not enough to guarantee success. Something else comes into the mix; that is, stamina. I have seen in various tennis games where rookies create upsets against their opponents in early rounds. As the match dragged into hours, the veterans rallied themselves to take the lead. In such cases, it is not skill and speed that gets the job done; it is stamina.
As can be seen from our text, God seemed to have indirectly warned him to brace up for even tougher times. There is a minimum level of endurance you have to develop to make good on God’s plan for your life.
Merriam Webster defines stamina as “the bodily or mental capacity to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity”. In another stroke, the dictionary defines stamina as “the moral or emotional strength to continue with a difficult process, effort”. Stamina, more than opportunity, skill or speed, is the ultimate decider of what people become. The Bible word for it is endurance. Without it, you will give up right on the eve of your breakthrough. Those who flip-flop from one career to another, one territory to another are usually lacking in stamina. They put their hands on the plough, and when there are no immediate results, they pull back to try something else. The process repeats itself in the new venture until they can no longer make meaning of their lives. Jeremiah was one of the most misunderstood and persecuted prophets in the land of Israel. Many times, he came to his wit’s end and muttered his complaints to God. As can be seen from our text, God seemed to have indirectly warned him to brace up for even tougher times. There is a minimum level of endurance you have to develop to make good on God’s plan for your life.