There is a lot of spiritual truth in the old fable of “The Tortoise and The Hare”. In the long run it is not brilliance, energy and excitement that accomplishes most in the Kingdom, it is patient, steadfast day-in-day-out faithfulness — the determination to keep on plodding!

Many in the church are looking for high-voltage excitement as they leap from one spiritual high to another. But the real test of discipleship is not whether we can serve God when crowds are cheering and flags are waving; it is whether we can serve on the long dusty march in the heat of the day! The real foot soldiers of the faith are the “Plodders” who slug it out day after weary day.

What does it take to keep on plodding…..?

1. Constancy In Christian Living. We must live consistent, constant Christian lives. The Gospel is not served by those who live temperate, controlled lives part of the time, punctuated by occasional binges of excess and dissipation. Rather, we must “deny ungodliness and worldly lust and live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world” (Titus 2:12).

2. Persistent In Prayer. Many of us admit the value of prayer in theory and deny it in practice. We must “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), day after day, hour after hour.

3. Steadfastness In Service. Many will work energetically and enthusiastically for a little while, but then discouragement sets in and they quit. What is needed are men and women who will put their hands to the plow and never look back. It is work done in discouragement which carries the church and measures maturity (I Corinthians 15:58).

4. Loyalty In All Things. This means putting the kingdom of God first — not occasionally, sometimes or usually — but all the time (Matthew 6:33)!

May God help us to take these principles to heart and let them really flourish in our lives! The blessings received will astound us as we grow more and more into maturity.