Persevering Faith

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The story of William Wilberforce is a wonderful example of a person who understood the assignment of following Christ no matter the struggle or the length of time in the battle. El ected to the British Parliament in 1780, Wilberforce spent fifty-three years fighting against the African slave trade in the British colonies. While he was successful in leading the abolition of the trade in 1807, the abolishment of the status of “slave” in British colonies, which opened the door more broadly to freedom, didn’t occur until 1833, within days of his own death. Given his passion and diligence, we must believe Wilberforce understood the frustration of praying for God to move, only to have to wait. Katie Turk’s thoughtful article both expresses the power of persistence and quotes the words pf of Wilberforce, relating them to contemporary settings: “Accustom yourself to look first to the dreadful consequences of failure; then fix your eye on the glorious prize which is before you; and when your strength begins to fail, and your spirits are well nigh exhausted, let the animating view rekindle your resolution, and call forth in renewing vigor the fainting energies of your soul” (Katie Turk, “Is It Even Worth It?,” Outlook, February 2015, https://www.outlookmag.org/is-it-even-worth-it/). Show more