It has taken me a long time to realize this about life, but perseverance is a character trait that I have come to highly prize. I’ve done a lot of things in my life that haven’t worked out the way that I had hoped, so many dreams and projects that have failed miserably. I have spent my share of time being downcast and deterred.

But I have always managed to get back up again, by the grace of The Lord God, and keep on keeping on, as they say. Being unwilling to give up , even in the face of failure, is a trait that has taken me years to acquire. And when I look around me, it feels like perseverance is a character trait that’s sadly lacking among people.

In the present day’s economy, it’s so easy to get discouraged, to give up and not aim for anything better in life. But giving up can only lead to failure. I’ve already failed such a number of times, it doesn’t scare me any more to aim big and to then observe my dreams crumble. I understand that I am able to get back up and find new goals to pour my effort into.

That’s the reason why I believe that perseverance is a path to happiness. Without perseverance, not having the courage to continue to try even in the midst of failure, a person is always haunted by the thoughts that they could have done more with their lives. Regret starts to crawl in and the wonderings of what if I might have only worked at this or that dream?

So long as I keep trying, I am able to lay my head down on the pillow at night with no regrets. I will wake up in the morning and work diligently, not being too worried when things start to fall to bits, still having the confidence that regardless of if everything crumbles, I’ll get right back up again, dust myself off, and start working on something new. Perseverance truly is a path to happiness.

Ben Mester is a writer who loves writing on Bible verses about perseverance. If you enjoy reading about perseverance, check out his other Bible verses about hope also.