Do you remember when you learned to read? It was probably a really long time ago for most of us. Do you remember how difficult it was? It was a whole new way of looking at the world.

Maybe you got frustrated. Maybe it didn’t seem worth it. You already knew how to speak. Who needs to know how to write and read? Hopefully you didn’t give up. Hopefully you had someone who reminded you that learning a new, important skill requires a lot of perseverance. It might feel too hard, but those things that are too hard are usually worth the difficulty.

In Philippians, Paul talks about perseverance. He says, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. …One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul says that we need to continue moving toward Jesus, forgetting about what we used to be and constantly working to become more like Christ. It won’t be easy but it will be worth it. When others see us persevering toward goodness, they will want that goodness in their own lives. Then we can all persevere together.This is Luis Palau.