Persistence Produces Something

Five-Minute Friday Persistence always produces

As a teacher and an investor, I sometimes use the ant as an illustration of the best way to invest. The ant doesn’t seem to have much in the way of resources, but I have never seen a lazy ant or an ant wandering aimlessly. They have a task, by design, and they do what they are designed to do. Now that spring has arrived, my wife told me she saw the first of the ants in the house. This will be the first of many, because ants are persistent.

Far too many persist in buying using credit or taking out loans that will cost them dearly over time. When they persist in these behaviors, many come to the last days of their lives with plenty of debt and very little to show for it. Their persistence produced poverty. They apparently never took King Solomon’s advice to heart to “consider the ant.” (Proverbs 6:6)

Plenty of Something From Persistence

Not only does persistence produce something, it produces plenty of whatever was persistently pursued. This is so important that the concept appears at least twice in the book of Proverbs.

“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.” Proverbs 12:11

“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.” Proverbs 28:19

How to Identify a Follower of Jesus

They are mindful about their persistence in things that matter. “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16

Five Minute Friday

This post is part of the weekly Five-Minute Friday link-up.

All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.