Albert Einstein once said, “I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent. Curiosity, obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me my ideas.”
He’s saying, basically, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
He may have understated his intelligence and talent, but he does so to make a point: For more than any other reason, he was successful because he was persistent.
I’m no Einstein, but I can also say that whatever success I have experienced can be attributed to this same principle.
I can also say that my failures weren’t so much the result of a lack of talent or the lack of worthwhile goals; they were the result of quitting too soon.
Solomon said, “For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.” (Proverbs 24:16)
When I struggle with failure in any area, I have to remind myself several times a day that the difference between my being a wise man and a fool … the difference between my being righteous and unrighteous … is determined by my willingness to get back up and try again.
Have you fallen down? Has it happened more than once? If you’re like most, maybe you’re ready to throw in the towel. But remember this: if a good idea is worth one good try, it’s worth a thousand more.
Take another look at the goals God has given you. Then get up, and try again.
