Shameless Persistence

Shameless Persistence

“But I tell you this – though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.” -Luke 11:8

Have you ever been persistent about something? I know persistence is hard for me – I tend to shrink away at the first sign of rejection. But, my first marketing job at 23 was selling coupon books door to door. I had to get over my fear of rejection quickly!

Sara Blakely, creator of Spanx, is an incredible success story. Now a billionaire, she went from selling copy machines to running a multi-billion dollar operation. She recently did an interview on CNN talking about her story.

When asked what her secret to success was, she said that it was mostly due to her upbringing. “My dad would sit with my brother and I at the dinner table and ask us what we’d failed at that week. I’d say, ‘Dad, I tried out for (this or that), and I was horrible!’ He’d give me a high-five.” She said her father created a culture in their home that true failure was not in doing poorly – it was in not trying at all.

Later, when she came up with the idea for Spanx, all of the hosiery manufacturers refused to make her product because they thought it was a bad idea. Eventually, she found a man who was willing to give it a shot because his three daughters convinced him it was a good idea. But if Sara had given up, she wouldn’t be where she is today.

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” -Luke 11:9-10

Is there anything you need to persist in? Ask God for the grace to be shamelessly persistent.