In the spring of 1871, a young man picked up a book and read 21 words that changed his life. The young man was a medical student at Montreal General Hospital.

He was worried about final examinations. He was troubled about what he should do with his life, where he should establish his medical practice, and how he would build it.

The 21 words that changed his life were written by Thomas Carlyle.  The man who was challenged was William Osler, a founder of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. These are the words: “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”

This truth is taught in what we usually call the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Mt. 6:11). Notice the words “this day.” The prayer asks for today’s bread only. It does not complain about yesterday’s bread. It does not worry about next week or next month. The request focuses on this day.

Today’s bread is the only bread we can possibly eat. This is what the Bible teaches. In Matthew 6:34, we read, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

The Lord Jesus is telling us to live one day at a time. If we live each day for God’s glory and the betterment of our community and world, we will automatically be prepared for tomorrow and the future.

I am concerned that there are a number of people on both sides of the political agenda that are concerned about what the future holds with our new administration. With the inauguration of our new president during the same week as the celebration of the birthday and memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I cannot help but wonder what Dr. King would say about our past election and the events that took place.  Was there interference by foreign countries? Was there transparency on both sides? Was the media fair on both sides? Did gender have anything to do with the outcome of the election?

There is no way for me to know what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have said or thought about it.  The truth is, I would be one of the least qualified people in the world to speak on his behalf. It is an honor that is too great for me to endure.

I can share with you what he has said in the past concerning other situations. I do know what it is to experience prejudice, discrimination, and mistreatment by others who are different from me and those like me, and that memory is buried in my mind. This week, we celebrate the birthday and the holiday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was born at noon Tuesday, Jan. 15, 1929 at the family home in Atlanta, Ga.

It became his mission to make us look at life with all the imperfections of life. I regret that no one has to convince me personally that prejudice is alive and well. The good news is that the overwhelming majority of people are better than good, but as someone has said, “One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.” No wonder Dr. King once said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

On another occasion he said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Once he said, “Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.” Also, “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.”

So he concluded by saying, “I have decided to stick with love.  Hate is too great of a burden to bear.”

Perseverance is important in the spiritual realm. It is also important in all other spheres of life as well.  It has been said that about 99 percent of all success the people of this world have enjoyed is due to persistence or perseverance. Genius has been described as 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration!  However, we don’t generally like to think like that.

General Ulysses S. Grant, in his memoirs, tells how one night he was dizzy and could not see well because of violent headaches. His entire body ached. The next morning, a horseman galloped up to him with a note of surrender from General Robert E. Lee.

Grant said, “I was instantly cured when I saw the contents of the note.  Every pain left me; even my headache.” General Grant had been sick from worry.

Our English word “worry” comes from the Greek word merimnao. It is a combination of two words, merizo, meaning “to divide,” and nous, meaning “mind.”  Worry, therefore, means “to divide the mind.” According to James 1:8, a person troubled by worry is divided emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Such worry can be harmful to the body, which is God’s holy temple (I Cor. 3:16).

However, it is 99 percent sweat, persistence and perseverance that bring the needed success. It is very easy on our part to say, “Oh, isn’t that just wonderful the things that Dr. King did for our country! He was marvelously gifted. I am sure that if I were gifted in a similar way I, too, would be great.”

This is used as a cop-out to avoid the long arduous task of persistent effort, practice and preparation. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was willing to take on that arduous task.

Here are some of the things he said concerning it:

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of the inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”     “If you can’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

Let me close by using a few more of Dr. King’s statements:

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

I’m encouraging those who are happy for our new president and those who are anxious about our new president to do the same thing: Pray for our president no matter who you voted for.

God bless America and God bless our new president.

Guest columnist Cummings is pastor of Bethlehem Temple in Wheeling and Shiloh Apostolic Faith Assembly in Weirton.