Don't Give Up

Don't Give Up

Have you ever felt like giving up? Maybe the answer is yes, and it is an urgent yes; you feel like giving up right now. Frequently, people want to give up on their marriages for various reasons. Or, they are involved in a ministry but contemplate quitting it. Or they are tempted to stop praying for a wayward child or a lost friend. Sometimes, at especially difficult times, people want to give up on life altogether; they're at a point where they want to die.

Discouragement to the point of quitting is one of the temptations “common to man” that the apostle Paul references in 1 Corinthians 10:13. “But,” the verse goes on to explain, “God is faithful.” If you are currently experiencing this temptation to quit, then allow me to remind you of biblical truth given to us by our faithful God. These five thoughts directly from the pages of Scripture will help anyone who feels like giving up.

Consider Hebrews 10. The first of the five thoughts from this chapter concerns the problems that are listed. Often, we want to quit because we are overwhelmed with problems. The writer to the Hebrews refers not just to problems, but to “a great fight of afflictions” (v. 32). Those reading the epistle of Hebrews are suffering. The word “gazingstock” in verse 33 means that their suffering has become a spectacle; other people were staring at this soul-crushing situation. If you have experienced deep suffering, you know that problems can feel even heavier when other people are watching. Additionally, notice the “reproaches” of verse 33. This word refers to the cynical or negative comments that observers make. They express disapproval of you and your situation, even during the turmoil of the problem. Notice the instruction given in verse 35: “cast not away therefore your confidence.” Problems undermine confidence, and lack of confidence creates insecurity. Quite often, insecurity creates fear. Instead of counseling potential fear, though, the writer to the Hebrews addresses the root issue when he says to “cast not away therefore your confidence.” Verse 35 is not the only instruction given in the text. Second, consider this thought from verse 36: be patient. Specifically, the Bible says, “ye have need of patience.” Anyone in the midst of problems wants those problems to be over immediately. Yet the writer to the Hebrews says to be patient, because you're closer than ever to your eternal reward. Now is not the time to turn back; now is the time to be patient. Have some endurance. Through this text, God the Holy Spirit is telling you to keep on keeping on.

In 1952, famous female athlete Florence Chadwick attempted a 26 mile swim from the California coastline to the Catalina Islands. She was 15 hours into that swim when a heavy fog set in and she lost her bearings. She couldn't see. By that time, Florence was understandably exhausted, but she was also disoriented by of the fog. The spotters in boats next to her urged her on and encouraged her to keep fighting. However, because she couldn't see, she quit. As it happened, the shore was less than half a mile away.

Ladies and gentlemen, no matter your situation, you're closer than you think to that “great recompense of reward” (v. 35). It may be hard, but keep going, and be patient. Along the way it’s okay to cry, but it’s not okay to complain. Remember that even Jesus wept occasionally. Tears can be holy, healthy, and even therapeutic. Complaining, however, is often selfish and sinful. So be patient, and keep going.

The third thought from Hebrews 12 helps us remember our motivation as we persevere in patience. Consider the idea of purpose. Specifically verse 36 includes the phrase, “after ye have done the will of God.” We sometimes wonder if the problems that we face are God's will. To answer that question we must understand a distinction: some problems are authored by God, and some are simply allowed by God. Just two chapters later in Hebrews 12 we read about God chastising His children. The difficulty of chastisement is God’s direct response to our sinful choices. Even when your situation of affliction was authored by God, the Bible says, “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.” In other words, don't hate chastisement, and don't be overwhelmed by it. Instead, become more mature because of it. There's value in heavenly chastisement.

Most of the time, though, God is probably not the author of what you’re facing. Instead, the problems are a consequence of bumping into the thorns and thistles of this sin-cursed earth. In this life we will have trouble, whether God authored our afflictions or simply allowed them. Either way, the best strategy is to always do the will of God. Accomplish his purpose in the midst of the problem. So many of our problems exist because we insist on our will instead. Of God’s. While God's will is not always easy street, God’s will is always ultimately better. Consider people who cheat on their spouse and then wonder why their life is difficult. Cutting corners, indulging in sinful vices—those things are our will, and they will always make our situation worse. His will is so much better: chastity before marriage and fidelity during marriage; don't let “the sun go down upon your wrath”; don't bear false witness; have some "unfeigned love for the brethren.” The righteous road is always better than the self-indulgent road, and God’s will is always better than our will.

Fourth, for all those who accomplish God’s purposes, there is a promise. Notice verse 36, which refers to the promise of salvation. This is the promise of deliverance from sin and hell. One day we will be delivered from this sin-cursed earth. I love the hope described in Romans 8:31-32. There, the Bible says this: “If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Even God's Son faced suffering when he was on this earth. Who are we to think that we shouldn't face suffering? Yet because Christ suffered, died, and rose again, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:34). Later in Romans 8 we find that, yes, in this life we will have tribulation and distress—maybe persecution or famine or nakedness or sword—but even in the midst of all these things “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (v. 37). Regardless of what happens on earth, Heaven awaits the redeemed. That's a wonderful promise.

The fifth thought is the power of God's presence between now and heaven. Notice Hebrews 10:37: “for yet a little while, and he that shall come will come and will not tarry.” When I read that verse, I think “the sooner the better!” With John the Revelator, we say “even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20). We want to be in the presence of our Redeemer. We long for the day when our faith will become sight. In the meantime, however, “the just shall live by faith” (v. 38). The next chapter after Hebrews 10 is the famous list of men and women who lived by faith. When the problems make you want to quit, the text remind you to be patient, to pursue God’s purposes, to claim God’s promises, and to long for God's presence. In the meantime, as you walk by faith, you can draw inspiration from the heroes of the faith. You do God’s will, like Abel did. In spite of your jealous brother, you offer unto God “a more excellent sacrifice.” When you feel like quitting, you decide to please God, like Enoch did. Even in situations that you don't understand, you continue to fear God, like Noah did. You walk in faith, like Joshua walked around the walls of Jericho. The Israelites probably thought walking around the walls of Jericho was ridiculous, especially for seven days. However, just keep walking by faith, because day seven is coming. Your job is to keep doing what God has clearly instructed you to do, and to trust him while you do it. When you feel like quitting, apply and obey Hebrews 10:35 and Romans 8:31-39, take one day at a time, take deep breaths, draw inspiration from the heroes of the Christian faith recorded in Hebrews 11, and do it all in God's strength, for God's glory.

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The above article was written by Pastor James C. Johnson. He is the pastor of NorthStone Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fl. To offer him your feedback, comment below or email us at strengthforlife461@gmail.com.

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