The Reader For Leaders Seminars, articles, and musings by Paul D. Casey

“Persistence is having the same goal over and over.” –Seth Godin

I suppose we could be regularly lazy or regularly a pest or exhibit some other negative recurring habit in our lives. But true persistence, as a virtue, comes from setting a goal of self- or organizational-improvement, and pursuing that goal day-in and day-out until it is accomplished.  Which makes Goal-setting so important. Picking the right goal, one that’s specific, measurable, achieveable, time-sensitive, and relevant (SMART). Then committing to its achievement–otherwise, what’s the point of setting one? It would just be time-spent setting one’s self up for failure.  Goals should be written down and shared with safe people who can hold us accountable because there is power in the written word and in accountability.

Numbers 31:23 “….anything else that can survive fire–must be passed through the fire; then it will be ritually purified.”

God must think we are valuable in order to spend His “energy” on putting us individually through the fire of testing. That’s amazing in itself that He cares that much about us! God must also think we can survive the fire of testing because His love for us prevents that fire from burning us up. So, knowing that fire refines our character to make us more like Him, and knowing He only gives us what we can handle, it’s then up to us to put ourselves into the right frame of mind to receive the pruning/refining process so that it can be a learning experience. Only then will we be even more valuable to Him and His kingdom on earth.