Winston Churchill was a very old man. He had led England through the dark days of World War II and other great difficulties. He had close ties with the United States and was loved and appreciated by people of both countries. Shortly before his death he was invited to give a speech at a school where he had once attended as a student. Because of his failing health and old age, his family and advisers discouraged him from accepting the invitation. But he was determined to accept. He had to be assisted to the podium. His aids were apprehensive. Churchill was feeble. He leaned heavily upon the podium and stood there for a while saying not a word. The audience waited quietly. You could almost hear a pin drop. Finally, he spoke and here is what he said: "Never give in. Never give in. Never. Never. NEVER!"

That was the entire text of Churchill's speech, but may well have been one of his most memorable speeches. It had to do with the secret of his success. He never gave up. He was determined. In pictures I saw of him in Time or Newsweek, even his facial features, clutching a cigar between his teeth, reminded me of a bull dog that would get a hold on something and refuse to turn it loose. He was persistent. He never gave up.

There was a politician who used to say, "I have always hoed to the end of the row." He meant, of course, that he never quit. He never gave up. He kept on going.

No doubt many a political campaign has been lost because of a lack of persistence. Battles have been lost and careers and marriages have failed because of a lack of it. And, no doubt, many good and promising works of the church have "gone down the drain" and been forgotten because elders, preachers and other leaders failed to persevere. Some even quit the church when the going gets tough.

Persistence is an important trait of Christian character. Jesus talked about being persistent in prayer. (Luke 18:1-8). He told of a poor widow who came to an unjust judge with a request. Since she had no money for a bribe, she was denied time and again. But she didn't quit. She continued to follow him around repeating her request. Finally, she wore him down and he gave in. She won her case because of persistence. Luke explained that Jesus meant that "men ought to always pray and not lose heart."

The Lord's letter to the church at Ephesus foretold ominous events. They were to suffer great hardships, but He wrote: ". . . by thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." (Rev. 2:10) This meant that they were to be faithful even though it may result in death. Be persistent. Never give up. As Churchill would say: "Never. Never. NEVER!"