By TONY ROBERTS / Guest Columnist

A few weeks ago, I heard an interesting illustration from an older, wise man, from Foley, Ala.

In his words he told me a story concerning beavers. These animals are generally considered to be a major nuisance when they arrive on a piece of property. They are designed by God to be an engineering marvel. They are built to fell trees by using their powerful teeth and tenacity. They cut the trees down, then pile them up and construct dams from them. God also designed them with flat tails that are very powerful and can tamp mud into the dams to keep them from leaking. These dams can flood many acres of land, depending on the size of the stream or creek that is dammed.

The point of the story was driven home with this simple statement. “There is not a tree that is in the forest that a beaver cannot bring down once he gets started.” A beaver knows one thing. When he attacks a tree, it is coming down. It does not matter how big the tree is, it does not matter how tall the tree is, it is coming down. Through sheer will power, he stays with the task until the tree hits the ground.

I heard a saying that “persistence breaks resistance.” If we as Christians took a lesson from the beaver and just stayed with something through sheer tenacity and stubbornness, persistence would break resistance.

When serving God becomes a passion, we will see opportunities instead of obstacles. When winning our neighborhoods, schools and cities for Christ becomes a mission instead of a hobby, we will see a difference. If it is worth having, it is worth working for. Our service to God should be our top priority in life.

The work of God is not always easy. It is not always a joy ride to accomplish something great in the kingdom of God. Through hard work and tenacity we can win the lost and accomplish something that will last for eternity.

Persistence will break resistance.

Roberts is pastor of the Abundant Life Church in Alabaster