The
first time I tried to march and play drums at the same time, I was
terrible. When I concentrated on playing a steady beat, I marched out of
step; when I focused on marching in line, I played off beat. After the
first week, I went to the band director and told him that marching band
was not for me and that he shouldn't expect me at any more of the
rehearsals. I'll never forget what he said to me "Bubba, I didn't think
you were a quitter." That cut through me like a knife.
We don't like to be
called quitters, but we sure act like them. We try various hobbies and
crafts for a while, and if we don't enjoy them as much as we originally
thought we would, we toss them aside and move on to something else. How
many have picked up the game of golf only to throw it back down a couple
of weeks later? What about attempting to learn a musical instrument?
Even those who make a substantial investment in their potential interest
‑ equipment, lessons, accessories ‑ give up after their initial failure.
If we're not careful,
we allow this mentality to carry over into our spiritual thinking. With
high ambitions and fiery spirits, we march into the battlefield of life
full of vigor and ready to conquer anything that crosses our path. Yet
the first time our courage is demanded because of some obstacle or
hurdle that lies in front of us, we abandon the Lord and run the other
way. The excitement that fueled us at first is lost because we recognize
that some exertion is required of us or an unanticipated conflict must
be resolved. Even those who make a considerable investment in the Lord's
work ‑ time, energy, resources drop out long before the race is won.
Quitting is easy
because it involves no effort, no commitment. The world convinces us
that life is self-centered and that we must do anything and everything
to make ourselves comfortable and content. This philosophy implies
eliminating that which causes discomfort and discord; things like our
marriage, our religion, even our own life.
Please reflect on
these simple suggestions the next time you encounter the temptation to
quit the Lord.
1. Trust in God.
Faith is not simply believing in the existence of God, it involves
putting your complete confidence and trust in Him. He has promised, "I
will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you"
(Heb. 13:5).
Even in your darkest hour, when it seems that all hope is gone, He is
standing by your side, ready to help you overcome your adversaries.
Those who abandon Him have not totally surrendered their fears and
worries and are attempting to live life on their own. Place your
confidence in God that He will lead you through the difficult times and
build you up so that you can endure them. If you never forsake Him, He
has promised that He will never leave you. Trust Him.
2. Finish what you start.
Jesus did. He came to this earth with a mission, to fulfill an
incredible plan to save men from their sins, and He did not allow one
thing to step in His way not the devil, not the apostles, not the
scribes and Pharisees.
Paul told Timothy to
'be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,
fulfill your ministry"
(2
Tim. 4:5). The
young preacher was to expect trials and setbacks, frustrations and
anxieties, but he was to endure them with patience and persistence and
not give up. Paul knew about hardships; "five times I received from the
Jews thirty‑nine lashes, three times was I beaten with rods, once I was
stoned, three times was I shipwrecked... "
(2
Cor. 11:24‑27).
Do you think he considered calling it quits a time or two? Yet through
it all, he continued to trust in God and that allowed him to finish what
he started.
3. Remember the big picture.
Heaven is for those who have endured and those who have conquered, not
for those who have given up. Since Paul had fought the fight and kept
the faith, he was confident in his eternal destiny ‑ "in the future
there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but
to all those who have loved his appearing"
(2 Tim. 4:8).
Remember where you're
going. It's easy to get distracted by the temporal things that this life
has to offer; they cause us worry and tempt us to throw in the towel and
quit. They make service to God seem less important and perseverance
impossible. At the judgment, those who have endured and those who have
given up will be separated, and the ones who have kept the faith will
receive their crown of life. Won't the temporal things seem so
insignificant then?
Consider the poem of
Jill Wolf. 'Don't quit when the tide is the lowest, for it's just about
to turn, don't quit over doubts and questions, for there's something you
may learn. Don't quit when the night is darkest, for it's just a while
till dawn; don't quit when you've run the farthest, for the race is
almost won. Don't quit when the hill is steepest; for your goal is
almost nigh; don't quit, for you're not a failure until you fail to
try."
Fight the good fight,
finish the course, keep the faith, and whatever you do, don't quit.
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