Success is the child of drudgery and perseverance. It cannot be coaxed or bribed; pay the price and it is yours. Orison S. Marden

Nobody likes drudgery. Drudgery means hard work. Often repetitive, always monotonous, drudgery implies the need for hard and consistent labor. That's why it is so important for us to determine in advance whether the things we are considering becoming involved with are worth the drudgery.

When I was a kid, I had a passion for baseball. I loved to watch it, I loved to play it, and I especially liked to practice at it. I got a little plastic bat and ball launcher when I was about seven. It was pretty primitve - you put three or four plastic balls in a chute that dropped the ball onto it's "launching pad". You stomped hard on a lever and the ball that was fed into the launcher went up into the air, where upon you smacked the ball as hard as you could. I must have hit thousands of homeruns and won dozens of World Series games with this little device.

The thing about this baseball game was that, while it took a little work to get the hang of it, it was not work in my eyes - it was fun. So, what would have been pure drudgery for those who did not like baseball was pure joy for those of us who loved it. The perseverance that was required to master this little device did not seem like perseverance at all, because I loved baseball.

There is a lesson in this for those of us who would serve God. There is a lot of "drudgery" or hard work associated in learning what God wants of us. Serving God requires much more than a passing fancy - it requires hundreds and even thousands of hours of Bible study. At first, it will require some perseverance, especially after the initial enthusiasm for the task begins to fade and the reality begins to sink in that hard work is required.

Because of this perceived drudgery, the zeal that so many have when they first consider becoming a Christian will often fade. But, for those who are absolutely in love with the Lord, the task of service will not seem so bad. In fact, it will become part of the joy. When you are in love with that special someone, it is no burden to read their letters, over and over, because you are in love. In the same way, reading the words of God will not be a burden to those who are longing to hear His message.

When I was seven, practicing baseball was no burden - it was pure joy. When we decide to follow Christ the early process may at first seem like what it in reality is: Hard work! But if we truly love the Lord and want to serve him, then that love will result in perseverance, and that perseverance will lead to success. Drudgery plus perseverance will always lead to success. The only question is will we be willing to pay the price?

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. Hebrews 10:36, NIV