I saw that kind of steadfastness in Dr. Stanley. Perhaps because of childhood experiences steadfastness - of life, character, and emotion - is something I'm drawn to. I don't think it's any coincidence I ended up marrying Josh, a man so steady and unflappable it takes the whole world crashing around him to find out he is, in fact, a little stressed.
I think we forget what a gift our steadfastness is to the those around us. In an age of selfishness and chaos (and chaos caused by selfishness), the steadfast, faithful, perseverant people really are the ones who overcome. Think about it: Who do we love to return to? The grandparents, parents, and old friends who never left the small town we couldn't bear to stay in. We may not be
called to or want to stay, but their staying power is our security.
Or what about the man who stays? Many of you reading this came to my blog years ago though my viral post “
Marry the Man Who Stays”, about which I said this:
"We’re trained to look for the movers and shakers, the leaders and the loud. We think spiritual leadership means holding the microphone – but it’s more about holding the fort. The man who stands on principle isn’t en route to anywhere else; he’s neither moving nor shaking. He simply stays.
“We think of faithfulness as something practiced once we’re married, but it doesn’t just happen when the rings slip on our hands. It’s a discipline of the heart that begins early. It’s the choice to stick with it when things get tough, when you’re overlooked, when your work is ignored and you’re left standing there. It’s choosing to stay when you have every reason to leave.”
Or what about the person who day after day follows through on their habits, who abstains from the thing causing addiction, who perseveres in seeking God when it isn't fun or pretty or life is “too busy”? That person comes out on the other side an overcomer, not because he never missed a day but because when he did, he didn't use it as an excuse to give up. He kept his eyes on the prize.
In our spiritual lives that prize is “the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14) And I think that's what Dr. Stanley always kept in mind. If your eyes are fixed on that high call, it's a lot harder to get distracted. It's a lot harder to put God off yet again. And it helps to remember that in being steadfast, we are seen by God - even if it feels unseen by people. The only way to truly remain consistent is to do it for the One who rewards you rather than working for the shifting opinions of people.
I don't know about you, but I'll take the unglamorous, often unseen, overcoming life any day.
