Stickability:
n. a person’s ability to persevere with something; staying power
I’ve heard of “sticky” churches and brands, “sticky” sweets and hands, and I’ve also heard of “stickability”– a person’s ability to have a huge amount of stick-to-it-ive-ness. If you want success in any area of your life you have to have a lot of this stickability.
I’ve been talking a lot about dreams and such recently, so I thought it would be good to talk about stickability and perseverance in relationships.
I’m a pastor’s kid – PK as a lot of people so endearingly call it – and I was basically born into my church. My parents were working in ministry before I was born and so was most of my family. I never ever considered any other way of life, or way of doing church or things. I never once considered leaving, or rebelling against everything – even during my teenage years. Yes, sometimes there might have been things that I didn’t understand and people that I didn’t agree with, but never once did I consider leaving. It was my church, where I was planted, and you don’t just up and leave when you’re planted somewhere – I mean, do trees do that?
I had an awesome gap year experience away from home and it made coming home really hard… I had had a fresh experience with Jesus during that time and it was a kind of “coming-of-age” moment for me – the gospel was real for me. Even though there were some things that I really battled with and all I wanted to do was travel the world (mostly because of the pride that one has in their youth), I felt that Jesus wanted me to come home and serve under my parents a few years.
Those years passed and I knew that it was time for me to move on. I approached my parents, who also happen to be my spiritual-parents, and they agreed. So I packed up my bags and I moved on to the next place I knew to be – and I’m still here.
I won’t lie to you and tell you that it’s been easy. If anything, again and again, I am prompted by God to eat a ton of humble pie – a ton of it. So much of it, in fact, it’s like the pie never ends – the gift that keeps on giving *nervous laugh*… I’ve wanted to leave so many times. It has sometimes felt like I’m starting all over again in terms of relationships and understanding.
But last week, God reminded me (through an awesome person) of the value of stickability.
I know that like me, some of you may have adopted that natural fight or flight mode in your everyday life, and while fight or flight mode is innately a part of all of us, I don’t believe that it is something that we should practice employing in our relationships:
- We can’t always just up and go when people don’t agree with or understand us;
- we can’t up and go when it’s just too hard to work through the process of getting to know one another;
- we can’t just up and go when we don’t want to take the time to understand them;
- and we can’t just up and go when the grass seems greener on the other side.
“…In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.” Isaiah 61:3-4
The Bible often talks about righteous men as oaks or trees that are planted with deep roots. In order for roots to be deep, they have to be planted for a long time. During that time, they have to withstand wind, rain (all the elements) and much more – it’s about perseverance.
That’s what stickability is – perseverance! Perseverance for something that you really want! You have to want to make it work! You have to fight for it!
Just, like your relationship with Jesus, you have to fight to keep your fire for him burning!
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