Godly Insights in Everyday Life #1: On Determination

One of the many hobbies that I enjoy doing is watching anime, which is the term used for Japanese cartoons.  My all time favorite anime is called Kenichi, History's Strongest Disciple.  This show is about a high school boy (named Kenichi) who dreams of being a martial artist and being able to protect his friends and family.  Unfortunately he has absolutely no talent for being a martial artist...but he does have a kind heart and a whole lot of determination. Eventually the boy ends up being trained by five of the greatest martial artists in the world...all at one time.  Since these masters never fail, they never give up on this boy and put him through incredibly hard training in order to build his skill.

During one of the most difficult periods of his training, Kenichi is encouraged by seeing one of his master's work very hard at learning to play a certain board game - the master had practiced so much that the pieces literally wore thin from his fingers pressing against them.  Kenichi then makes the statement, "Well then I will simply train until the floor gives in from my training!"

Hard periods of our lives come to us too as we struggle and train to live for God and become more and more like Jesus.  In the middle of these hard times, when we feel like we can least keep up with devotions, or prayer, or fasting, or whatever the Lord is having us do, may we say, "Lord may I train until the binding of my Bible breaks, may I train until holes are worn into my pants from kneeling in prayer!"  When the path gets rough, when times get tough, its then that we must press towards the goal, giving it our all for Christ until "the floor gives in from my training!"

"Lord, help me to know you more each day, in every way, and may I never give up on my journey towards You!"