On my office wall hangs a well known quote from Theodore Roosevelt's famous, "In The Arena Speech" given April 23, 1910 in Paris. This brief quote from a rather lengthy address has inspired and encouraged thousands of people through the years.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Roosevelt spoke from experience. He grew up as a sickly child with very poor eyesight. He refused, however, to be branded as an invalid and compensated for his physical infirmities by becoming a fierce competitor in athletics (including boxing), hunting, military and political pursuits. As Governor of New York he took on the established "city bosses" and was selected by party bosses for the Vice-Presidency under William McKinley in an attempt to silence him. Certainly no one suspected the popular McKinley to be gunned down by an assassin in 1901 thereby thrusting Roosevelt into the Presidency. He immediately made his imprint on the federal government by taking on special interests and big business.
Roosevelt certainly made some mistakes. But no one could ever fault him on being passive. When he failed he got up and tried again. When he recognized an error in his life he corrected it. He loved life, his family and his friends and had a vivacious home filled with children and their pets. No wonder he remains one of our country's best loved chief executives.
When I think about Teddy Roosevelt's "In The Arena" I'm reminded of some other famous words from another man who repeatedly rose from the depths of defeat - the apostle Paul. In Galatians 6:9 he says, 'Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." It's true. Not everyone is going to like what you do. Not everyone will like you - as strange as it seems. There will be times when you are marred with dust and sweat and blood. Always remember, however, "Never give up!" Keep on fighting and trust God to bring you through victoriously!
THAT'S THE WAY I SEE IT!
