Persevero!

Persevero is Latin for "I persist" or "I persevere."  (We're starting Latin in homeschooling this year!)  Lately, we've been implementing some new routines as a family and working on turning these into habits can take quite a bit of work and perseverance!  I wanted to focus today on what to do when you are starting new habits personally or as a family and how to deal with setbacks in this process.

Right now, for instance, we are setting a solid bedtime for our children of 8:00 p.m. each night so that Mommy and Daddy can have some couple time each evening until we go to bed at 10:00 p.m.  That way we are all well rested and able to get up early each morning.  My goal there is to be up by 6:00 a.m., so I can spend some quiet time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer before all the busyness of the day begins.  I am also making breakfast each morning for my family and we are eating together before my husband leaves for work each day at 8:00 a.m.   Another goal thrown in at this time is getting the clean dishes out of the dishwasher each morning so that all the dirty, unsightly ones have a place to hide out during the day instead of taking over my kitchen counter and sink until evening.

That's a lot of goals at once, right?  I think a lot of them are co-dependent on each other though, so as long as one goes well, the next one sort of falls into place.  We just began this process about a week and a half ago and it is definitely a work in progress.  How are we doing so far?

1. Putting the children to bed - This is going great for everyone but my 1 1/2 year old.  He's used to just going to bed later around when Mommy goes to bed.  Anybody have any suggestions to help him get to bed earlier?  I think ultimately what it's going to require is persistence.
2. Getting ourselves to bed - This is also going pretty well, providing that the 1 1/2 year old cooperates and goes to sleep a little earlier.  He's averaging 9:30 p.m., right now...
3. Waking up earlier - I haven't reached my goal here yet.  I've made it to 6:30 a.m. for a day or two, but most of the time it's been 6:45 a.m.
4. Cooking breakfast - I have done this most mornings, except for a couple where I've gotten up a bit late and we've had cereal.  We have eaten together every morning since implementing this new routine though!
5. Taking care of the dishwasher - This has been happening most days (I fell off my horse a couple of evenings with getting everything totally cleaned up in the kitchen, but I got back on it the next day!).  This is actually a joy to me, because looking at an empty or almost empty sink during most of the day is much nicer than a pile of dirty dishes!

So, think of some goals you've made recently in your life.  How are you doing with those?  Have you gotten off track?  If so, what did you do?  How should we respond when we get off track in our goals (especially when these are godly goals)?  What should I do when...

• ...my children don't get to sleep well and I can't seem to drag myself out of bed the next morning?
• ...the dishes stay in a pile on the counter all night, because I chose to do other things the evening before?
• ...I miss my quiet time with God because I did not get myself out of the bed when I should have?
• ...we get off track homeschooling in the morning because of an interruption and our entire day is shot (academically at least!)?  
• ...you fill in the blank...?

In short, persevero!  That is what we should do.  Persist, persevere!  If you get off track one day, one week, one month, get back on track.  Begin again and God will be with you.  We are told in Lamentations 3:22-23: 

"The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (NASB)

Commit your goals to the Lord and ask Him to help you.  He is faithful to provide us help in anything that brings glory to Him.  Also, keep in mind that any goal that is of benefit to your Christian family or your walk with God will not be looked upon kindly by Satan.  So, he may throw some obstacles in your way to make you discouraged, but do not give up!  Persevere!

God's Word has quite a lot to say about perseverance.  Here is one example from Romans 2:5-8 of what we stand to gain for persevering in following Christ after accepting His gift of salvation:

"But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation." (emphasis mine)

I don't know about you, but that is some strong motivation for me right there!  Also, if any of your goals involve giving up of self, please don't let that be a hindrance.  Look at what Christ persevered through for us when He came to earth and gave Himself up to death on the cross because of our sins - my sins and yours!  Paul presents Christ's "giving up of Himself" so well in Philippians 2:5-8:

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Let's make this our aim.  Do set goals for yourself and your family that will bring glory to our great God and do not focus on your own fleshly desires!  Commit these goals to the Lord and He will prove faithful!  Persevero!