There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt» (Proverbs 30:29-31, NW).
PERSEVERANCE
Alexander Ill of Macedonia (356—323 BC), better known as Alexander the Great, was one of the most brilliant military leaders in history. Since childhood he showed interesting personality traits: vitality, sensibility, and ambition. It is said that at the age of sixteen he had to fight off an insurrection; Aristotle, the eminent philosopher and teacher of the prince, told him that it was still premature to participate in armed battles, to which the boy replied: «If I wait I will lose the audacity of youth.»
Upon the death of his father, Philip Il, Alexander ascended to the throne and began his invasion of Asia Minor in 334 BC with an army of forty thousand men. The way he motivated his soldiers and his ability to always go in front of his battalions made him an irresistible leader. The victories happened one after the other. But the crucial moment would come on October 1, 331 BC, on the occasion of the Battle of Gaugamela, about 27 kilometers from the current city of Mosul (Iraq). The powerful Medo-Persian army had over two hundred and fifty thousand troops, including infantry squadrons, mercenaries, cavalry, archers, scythed chariots, and war elephants. On the other side, the Macedonian army had seven thousand horsemen and forty thousand infantry. But the movements of the illustrious Hellenic monarch opened up the Persian flanks and caused Darius Ill to flee, and his army abandoned the battle. That defeat marked the end of the Medo-Persian Empire. From then on, Alexander became the ruler of the East.
From a numerical perspective, Alexander had little chance to defeat his Persian enemies, however, the Greek leader had the «audacity of youth,» which motivated him to persevere in reaching his goals. True, the audacity of youth can encourage a young person to realize dreams that seem difficult to achieve: get a scholarship through comporting to study at a Christian university, start your own business, marry the one you love, or work in another country.
Are you one of those who have little chance of reaching their dreams in this world? Well, welcome to the club. But you have a big advantage: the audacity of youth. Seize this moment!
Today put your youth in the hands of God so that He will help you to take advantage of this wonderful phase of life.