ABE LINCOLN AND HOPE

I must admit that I get discouraged sometimes. My discouragement typically comes from within, from my fears. Fear of failure and fear of letting others down are often the stimulants. I gain strength and wisdom from reading about how others handle their fears. The bible and in particular the book of Proverbs, is often the source of my strength. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that the book of Proverbs has 31 chapters. I try to make it a point to read one chapter each day.

Another source of solace comes from reading biographies. Someone once said, “We ought to learn from the mistakes of others since there is a good chance that we are not going to live long enough to make all the critical mistakes ourselves”.

I love reading about Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln lost more elections than he won. Can you imagine his discouragement? He was known to suffer from severe, incapacitating and occasionally suicidal depression. Before he was elected president in 1860, few would have predicted that he would become one of the best chief executives in our country’s history. Similarly, few would have guessed that his two minute Gettysburg Address would become the most famous speech in American history.

The one word most often used to describe Lincoln’s life was persistence. Why is persistence essential to one’s success? Perhaps because the old adage, “Quitters never win ; winners never quit” is true. What is the secret to persistence? Hope. If we believe that future rewards outweigh current sacrifice, we will pay the price to persevere. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” [Galatians 6:9].