My first pastor gave me some advice way back in the second or third year of my Christian life that has proven to be some of the best counsel I have ever received. It went like this. 

 

Ninety-five percent of your Christian life is just determination.

 

We are seekers of the mystical powers of those that work 18 hour days seemingly without tiring and accomplish their mission. When the truth is that most of the time it’s not a mystical power that gets the heavy lifting done, rather it is the bland, unspectacular, anti-climactic hard work driven by a determined individual.

 

Persistence is why the water wins the battle with the rock. Consistency is the best type of character capital. Diligence produces work that is sound and solid. Reliability makes a man valuable. All these things boil down to determination.

 

Desire is not enough. Passion is an overused, tired word.

 

Determination is the collection of all a man’s willpower to finish a task. It is what pushes to the goal on the days where there is no desire, no passion and no mystical power.

 

Ninety-five percent determination means the determined man will finish what the genius may never start.