Don't Give Up!

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up" (Thomas Edison).

Edison was speaking from experience. “Thomas Edison was one of the most successful innovators in American history. He was the “Wizard of Menlo Park,” a larger-than-life hero who seemed almost magical for the way he snatched ideas from thin air…But the man also stumbled, sometimes tremendously. In response to a question about his missteps, Edison once said, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.” Leonard DeGraaf, an archivist at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, explores the inventor’s prolific career in his book, Edison and the Rise of Innovation. The author offers new documents, photographs and insight into Edison’s evolution as an inventor, not to forget those creations that never saw wild success…DeGraaf says, “Edison’s not a guy that looks back. Even for his biggest failures he didn’t spend a lot of time wringing his hands and saying ‘Oh my God, we spent a fortune on that.’ He said, ‘we had fun spending it.’”*

There is a human tendency to quit when the going gets tough. It’s true spiritually as well. Perhaps that’s why the Bible so often encourages us not to give up. One of the main themes of the book of Hebrews is this very idea. We are part of the family of Christ “...if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end” Hebrews 3:6). We become partakers of Christ “...if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end” (Hebrews 3:14). We need endurance so that “...we may receive what was promised” (Hebrews 10:36). We are to consider the endurance of Christ so that we “...will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3).

Don’t give up! The race is not complete until you cross the finish line. Finish the course like Paul and receive the crown of life (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/7-epic-fails-brought-to-you-by-the-genius-mind-of-thomas-edison-180947786/