Zion Music News

What is your level of “tenacity?”

What is “Tenacity?” I have long considered it to be that quality in a person where they display the ability to persevere. An endurance, or “stick-ability”, almost to the extent of obnoxious belligerence. But recently I have been doing some study, and the word “tenacious” came up. I went into a deeper inspection of this word from a couple of different perspectives. What I found made me pull up and ponder this common, yet uncommon, word for a couple of days.

The literal definition is: not easily pulled apart. Persistent in seeking something valued or desired. This is the antiseptic version of tenacity, but when you look further and discover what other pages say about tenacity it has so much more to offer. One writer states that most consider individuals “tenacious” because they hold fast to a certain object or situation in their lives. My mother had a taped sermon from a classic camp meeting that she used to listen to regularly when I was an adolescent. The preacher was talking about “Bulldog Faith.” How that we have to get a hold of things we want and refuse to let go. Be tenacious.

Well, I am not attempting to contradict all the former perspectives of this term. But observe what I discovered in recent days, and see if you are similarly affected. One man stated that tenacity is commonly attributed to people who refuse to “let go” of certain areas. When in actuality they are suffering from overwhelming fear of where they might land when they let go. This fear causes them to cling more tightly to their situation, not a level of tenacity. The comments that arrested my attention were from a classic devotional where the word “tenacious” was completely defined, not only as the endurance component that we assume. But also, the “absolute certainty that what we are looking for will transpire.” Beyond any question of probability, tenacity removes the fleeting notion that GOD will come up short in HIS ability to work in our lives.

Many in this field of ministry will have a rollercoaster-type perspective of their calling into the Christian music industry. Is it a business (which it must always have a certain level of business emphasis to be sustaining), or a Ministry? If it is a business, then the “bottom-line” is the bottom line. End of story. But if it is a ministry to us, then we find ourselves up and down from month to month depending on the level of success we have experienced in recent efforts. Are we seeing results in our services/concerts? Is there a definite Spiritual emphasis in our presentation? Do we have interest in our calendar availabilities, or are there difficulties in booking services? All of these things cause us to continuously consider and reconsider why we are doing this. When we have positive results we are “Tenacious,” but when we are living in thin times we sometimes wonder “Should I continue?”

Remember this, your tenacity should go to that level where we don’t consider the possibility that there are other options than the “good plan that GOD has designed for your life.” He is Faithful who has called you. HE knows the way you take, and there is no place to allow your calling to fall by the way. Remember, we are NOT hanging on to do nothing, but rather we are working deliberately to see the ministry will of GOD done in our lives. Reconsider your calling again today, and then move forward TENACIOUSLY to see what GOD will do for you.

The Tim Thomas Trio was in the studio recently working on tracks for a new project. The tracks are AWESOME and as usual, they had the help of some of Nashville’s finest. The songs and tracks for the new project prove to be their best effort yet. Be looking for it.

BE BLESSED. Remember us when you pray, and we will remember you. Write to us with your comments or questions. We look forward to your response.

Eric McGruder
ion Music Group
http://www.zionmusic.com
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