23 November

Today's the day when in 2004 Sir Alex Ferguson took charge of his 1,000th game for Manchester United. Having led the team through a time of extraordinary success in the 1990s and early 2000s, winning a cupboard full of trophies, he celebrated this milestone in his 19th year as manager. Sometimes criticized for his handling of personal disagreements with players and his "my way or the highway" approach, Ferguson nevertheless demonstrates an exceptional perseverance in his role as manager of that one club for such a long period of time.

In a fast moving world, perseverance is not one of the most respected virtues around. It's easy to cut our losses and run when things get difficult. But in Romans chapter 5 the Bible shows us that in his grace God is crafting the experiences of our lives to teach us perseverance. This is what it says:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.