Some people have talent, some people have connections, some people were born into favor, but then there are the people who just won’t go away and refuse to quit. I was always told by my coaches in sports that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. The same is true with persistence; it outlasts where talent alone comes up short.
That is the case with one of Jesus’ parables. It is a story about a woman who had nothing going for her except the fact that she refused to stop showing up. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18, it says:
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: ‘In a certain town, there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.”
For some time, he refused. But finally, he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”’ (Luke 18:1–8)
A little context here is that widows were regarded as some of the most vulnerable people at that time. They had little to no legal standing, no real voice, no influence, and no power in the system, whereas a judge was an elite member of society. Also, at that time, the widow was less likely to receive help simply because she was a woman. Her request was most likely going to be ignored. But the widow was determined.
She showed up every day, asking the judge for justice, and finally wore him down. For those of you who have kids, you probably know the feeling.
However, God is not like the wicked judge in this story. Because of His great love for us, He wants us to pray and promises to answer our prayers and petitions (Ephesians 6:18). But He wants us to have persistence in our requests, just like the widow persisted with the judge. That doesn’t mean that God will give us whatever we want just because we keep asking Him. But it does mean that He will answer our requests in His timing.
So the next time you have a request for God, think of the persistent widow, and make your case with as much energy, passion, consistancy, and determination as she had.
The Bigger Picture: Persistent faith keeps showing up to God with trust and determination, knowing He hears, cares, and will answer in His perfect timing.
The Bigger Picture 