When my youngest son was five he brought me a story book about a boy learning how to play baseball. It was cute devotional on perseverance. I read it to him, even though I felt it was a bit over his head.

Several weeks later he was sitting on a kitchen stool watching me cook dinner. “Mommy, can I have some juice?” I said, “Yes, just a minute.” and continued my cooking. He asked again. I said “Just a minute.” He asked again.

I said sternly, “Christopher, you are too impatient!” He said, “I’m not being impatient, I’m being perseverant. He stopped me dead in my tracks. “Yes, you are Honey, yes you are,” I giggled. I poured his glass of juice.

Perseverance: steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

I have homeschooled for over 20 years. There are days I wake up and groan at the thought of another school day,  more laundry, more dishes, more floors to sweep, more noses to wipe, phonics and math problems to drill, etc.  Then I usually repent and say my morning prayer:

Father,

What would you have me do today?

What what you have me say?

Show me what to teach your children.

Lead me and guide me in your ways.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

God gives me the strength to get out of bed with a purpose to persevere and reminds me:

1. If I  acknowledge Him in all my ways, He will direct my paths. (Pro 3:6)
2. If I seek first the kingdom of God and all other thing will be given to me. (Mat 6:33)
3. If I delight myself in the Lord and He will give me the desires of my heart.(Ps 37:4)
4. If I  trust God, He will turn our trials into something for good  a( Romans 8:28).

God knows our weaknesses and promises to strengthen us  by His power (1 Corinthians 10:13). When we have a good school day its because of Him. When we have a bad school guess who is to blame?

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Am I saying homeschooling a testing of your faith? Ask a mother correcting the “saw” as “was” for the 89th time. If we were all open we would admit there are times we want to flag down the big yellow bus and get a 7-8 hour reprive like the other mothers in the neighborhood.

Homeschooling is a blessing and a test of our faith. Homeschooling develops perseverance.

Living a Christian life forces us to persevere through trials. God said His grace is sufficient in every situation. When we understand His love for us, we d can rise above discouragement.

Job’s greatest blessing was not the regaining of his health and wealth or the rebuilding of his family and circle of friends. His greatest blessing was understanding God working in a deeper way and growing intamatly closer to Him!  (James 5:11)

My veterinarian’s wife had breast cancer. She is remission now. They have very small children. She refers to her cancer a “the blessing.” Tests and trails are changes into deeper intimacy and greater faith.

WHAT A TERRIFIC BLESSING! This is reason enough to homeschool.

Do not confuse perseverance with working your way to righteousness. There is only way way to receive the righteousness needed to stand before aour holy God–by trading our sin’s payment  for  His holy Son’s righteousness.

God Promises Us Strength

God gives us the strength to persevere. When we ask Him, His Holy Spirit flows through us a supernatural power so we might endure (Acts 1:8).  Then we can soflty correct the word “saw” for “was the 90th, 91st, and 202nd time.

If I didn’t have the responsibility of homeschooling I don’t know if I would be in the Word daily. If I wans’t in the Word I wouldn’t be growing closer to God.

I know my strength comes from the Lord, because I ran out of my strength the first week of homeschooling. Obedience and perseverance in God’s ways are proof of our conversion –proof we are overcoming our sin nature through Christ.

Once we are saved, we exchange our weakness for His power (2 Cor. 12:1–10). As we wait on God, He enables us to fly abouve our circumstances (think Super Mom) .

Homeschool has developed in me a need to put God first. I have a lot to do and a limited amout of time to do it. I must preserve for treasures in Heaven I don’t have time for treasures t on the earth.

Whenever you feel things are tough, put things in perspective by comparing your situation with Christ’s last days on earth. He withstood real trials.

One cannot accomplish everything by perseverance, but very little can be accomplished without it. It is the Christian, who keeps on running “with perseverance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1), who finishes the race.

Remember, perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

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