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By Melvin Mason
Stick-to-it-iveness. A colloquial word that means to persist, maintain, or continue in pursuit of something; to keep on keeping on. Another synonym of it is “perseverance.”
In the case of his book “Disciplines of A Godly Man,” R. Kent Hughes is calling for us to stick to our Christianity. In Chapter 13 he deals with the Discipline of Perseverance, which according to principles he uses from the book of Hebrews, requires each of us to strip down, run, focus, and consider!
- Strip Down – to rid yourself of:
- Hindrances that get in the way of your pursuit. Things or people that are not necessarily bad, such as a hobby, an event, a place, or a pleasure, but that stagnate your continuing progress and growth in the faith. Hughes says these things may be okay for others, but wrong for you because they distract you from spending your time and energy on what is important.
- Besetting (heavy, clinging) Sins that easily stick to you, e.g., jealousy, anger, pride, lust, or pessimism. Hughes describes them with this horrifying scenario:
A fly sets down on a leaf to taste the sweetness that grows there. Instantly, three crimson-tipped, fingerlike
hairs bend over to touch the fly’s wings, holding it firmly in a sticky grasp. The more the fly struggles to get free, the more hopelessly it becomes coated with adhesive. Soon the fly relaxes, extending its tongue to continue to feast on the sweetness… just like when we chow down on our besetting sins. The captive fly is entirely at the plant’s mercy. Two hours later, the fly is an empty, sucked-out carcass, and the hungry
plant unfolds its delectable mouth for its next easy entanglement.
- Run – Hughes asserts that you have a “race” mapped out by God, just for you. It is specially designed and unique, to match your specific gifts, skills, and personality! Because of this, you can finish your race well, if you rely on the strength and guidance of your Creator.
- Focus – Hughes indicates that just as Jesus finished His race by looking to the joys and not the agony set before Him, so you and I would do well to concentrate on “the Author & Finisher of our faith,” and the unspeakable joys He sets in view before us (Rom. 8:14-18).
- Consider – Hughes says the message of Hebrews 12 is clear. Consider all the hellbent, sinful men that Jesus had to face — or rather, overlook — before His crucifixion in order to set His sights on the finish line. We, likewise, must look beyond the hardships that the world will bring our way and push through our race to the finish!
The author summarizes this way: “If we are to finish well in the faith, we must lay aside every weight and the sins that so easily cling to us. The kind, knowing faces of those who have run this race before us (Hebrews 12:1) beckon us to do so.”