Don't Settle for Less: Two Examples

 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”-- James 1:12 (KJV)

Success costs. It requires hard work and endurance. A quote from the film, The Princess Bride, says it all:

“Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”—William Goldman

There is still hope. On the other side of trauma is victory.  The main character, Wesley, doesn't give up. He refuses to settle for a short life of imprisonment and pain. As a consequence, the hero reaps these rewards:

• Wins the heart of the most beautiful woman in the world, Buttercup
• Vanquishes all the bad guys

Here are two cases of men who follow the creed of Billy Ocean’s song from the movie, Romancing the Stone: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” One is a prophet in the Bible. The other is a modern descendant of the wise man:

Abraham

Genesis chapters 11 and 12 relate how Terrah, the patriarch’s father, led his family out of their homeland. Their route may have looked something like this:

Ur of the Chaldees (modern south Iraq)èHaran (most likely present-day Turkey)

Terrah settled in Haran, and he died there. Abraham, however, didn’t stop. He continued his journey in this way:

HaranèEgyptèHebron in the land of Canaan (southern West Bank of Palestine)

The prophet was willing to go all the way to the Promised Land. I’m sure he had plenty of opposition, but he wasn’t willing to give up the fight. His reward was to begin a cherished inheritance that still stands today.

David Ben Gurion (1886-1973)

He was one of Abraham’s numerous modern descendants.  Anyone who has travelled to Tel Aviv, Israel, will recognize that the airport is named after him. His name is also attached to a medical school and a university. Other accomplishments include:

• Designed the flag of Israel
• Became the first Prime Minister/Minster of Defense of the new state of Israel
• Formally proclaimed the establishment of the Israel (in 1948)
• Wrote the Israeli constitution

His many accomplishments would not have happened if this remarkable man had been willing to settle. When he was about 15 years old, people were debating about where to establish a safe homeland for the Jewish people. Some individuals, including, Ben Gurion’s own father, Avigdor, wanted to accept territory in the country of Ghana. 

David didn’t agree with that plan. The easy way wasn’t good enough for this trailblazer. He pushed for settlement in the land of Palestine, the home of his ancestors.

The teenager spoke to Jewish leaders at many venues. Ben Gurion influenced the settlement of 1947. This landmark decision gave the Jewish people 56% of the territory of Palestine, which became the country of Israel.

My Conclusion

The peak of the mountain looks far away. You’ll probably have to deal with these conditions:

• Storms
• Exhaustion
• Hunger
• A lack of oxygen/Confusion
• Injuries
• Avalanches
• Frostbite

Experienced climbers will tell you they’re willing to accept the risks in order to get to the summit. The victory is worth the journey.

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Are you willing to endure storms on the way to success?