Defining "perseverance" for your preteens

Perseverance is a difficult concept for tweens to grasp, especially in a culture that extols instant gratification.

To persevere means to stay with a decision, belief or job even when a person doesn’t feel like it. Begin this discussion by encouraging your tweens to think about their accomplishments in academics, music, sports or other areas.

• Why are you better in this area than other kids? Agree that they may have some natural talent but emphasize that true accomplishment comes from practice.
  
  
• How did practicing help you? Emphasize how daily practice or exercise helps them master skills. For example, daily homework helps them pass to the next grade in school.
  
  
• Why do children play the same level of a video game over and over? Most won’t play it for fun. Usually they play it again and again because they want to reach the next level. They persevere to reach a goal. Explain how God wants His children to persevere in their faith. Read Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 12:9 and James 1:2-4 together.
  
  
• What is God’s reaction to persevering in the faith? He rejoices when His children don’t give up. He wants us to make it "to the next level" in life through our relationship with Him.
  
  
• What can you do to persevere in your faith? Some ways might be by going to church, reading the Bible, praying and serving others.
  
  
• What is one area of your life where you need to persevere? Pray that God will help your tweens to persevere through the situation they mentioned and succeed to "the next level" of growth and faith in Christ.