Three Reasons To Never Give Up

I typically feel as though I'm the only one who feels like giving up, throwing in the towel, packing up, moving away and starting over. I know that I'm not alone in feeling so overwhelmed, so frustrated, so under qualified, so hurt, so beat down but in the heat of those emotions the only realistic option seems to be to simply give up. If we're honest, we've all been there. So today I thought I'd give you a few reasons to stick it out.

Number 1 - It's really not that bad.

                     I know, I can feel the animosity on this one. How dare I know what you're going through and whether or not it's really all that bad. Just give me a minute to explain. In comparison to the glory that SHALL be revealed Peter tells us to not think it strange when we suffer. In comparison to what's coming, what we'll inherit, what we'll see, this light affliction is NOTHING! We're even told in scripture to glory in it, relish it, knowing that we're suffering as Christ suffered. On top of that let's get one thing straight. You have never, are not presently, nor will you EVER suffer to the extent that Christ our Lord did! No cancer, no loss, no sickness, no despair, no betrayal, no pain, no loneliness, no diagnosis, no break-up, NOTHING can compare to the Prince of Glory clothing himself in flesh, living a perfect life, being betrayed by his friend, being scorned by his people, being judged by Pilate, being scourged until he was unrecognizable, mocked and spat upon by the soldiers, crowned with a crown of thorns, being pushed beyond natural limits to carry a cross that wasn't his, then nailed to that cross, suffocating under the pressure of sin, and dying as an atonement for your sin! Yea, I'd say that whatever you're facing isn't all that bad.

Number 2 - You're not alone.

                     I think what generally hurts me the most isn't the situation but the feeling of loneliness in the situation. As if no one could ever know how I truly feel. I've learned along the way that there are people in my life who have been or are going through the exact situation that I am. I've also learned that there's someone out there that feels what I feel and hurts like I hurt, they've even asked the same questions that are plaguing my mind. I've tried to shepherd our people into sharing their storms and trials with one another because there's always someone going through what you've went though and all they need to hear is that someone else went through it and made it out! But that's not all, yes there are people who know how you feel, people who have walked the same path you've walked but they're broken too. Sin has flawed them, and sometimes sin causes them to react incorrectly or give the wrong advice but there's one who knows exactly how you feel and what you're facing and he is sinless, his love is pure, and his motives are true, Jesus Christ. I'm not just saying that as a cliche or as some off the cuff remark, Jesus Christ really knows what you feel in your flesh for he too has felt it! Literally. He felt the gravity of loss as the multitudes left, he felt the depth of desperation in the garden, he felt betrayal as Judas kissed him, he felt temptation in the wilderness, he felt grief in everyone's disbelief, he was tired as he stopped at Jacobs well, he was lonely as peter, James, and John slept while he anguished in prayer, he felt pain in his scourging, he felt loneliness on the cross, and he felt the absolute full sting of death as he gave up the ghost! He knows how it feels! More than all of that, he said he'd be with you, all the way to the end.

Number 3 - It has an eternal purpose.

                     You may not understand it, you may not see it now, you may not see it in this lifetime but the battle you're facing, the sickness you're fighting, the loss you've experienced, the pain that you're feeling has a divine purpose. Let's be real for a moment and talk about the doctrine of God. I believe that God is omniscient, he knows everything, I believe he's omnipresent, he's everywhere, and I believe he's omnipotent, he's all powerful. If God is omniscient then he knows what you have faced, what you're presently facing, and what's coming in the future. If he's omnipresent then he personally sees your tears and hears your cries and if he's omnipotent then he's powerful enough to stop, or even more so, powerful enough to have prevented what's causing you to want to give up. With that said, if it's happening then God allowed it, he ordained it. Why? For good! Romans 8:28 says "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Proverbs 16:4 says "The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." In Genesis chapter 50 Jospeh's brothers are worried that since their father has died that Joseph will destroys them for what the had done to him. His response was this "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." Wow! What purpose! The pit, the slavery, the accusations, the prison, the loneliness, the betrayal, it was ALL purposeful!

Now's not the time to give up! Dig in, hold on, pray hard, fast often, seek wisdom, and carry on. I promise, it'll be worth every tear, every hurt, every moment!

Sometimes it's a painful and tedious job to plant the seed but the harvest is always worth it.

Psalm 126:6King James Version (KJV)

6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Priorities! They really are everything!

It doesn't take a long look at our self centered culture to realize that many people these days have their priorities mixed up. In all honesty this has been an epidemic consistently throughout the course of human history and it all goes back to one moment in time where the human desire decided to attempt to supplant God's decree for personal gain, the fall! Just like Eve in the Garden, Cain in the field, Abraham with Hagar, Saul with David, David with Bathsheba, Judas with a kiss, and every human in between we are so broken and so skewed that without restraint and guidance from God and His Revelation we are doomed and helpless in our finite attempts to restructure our priorities. 

My struggle isn't really with how the world structures it's priorities because sinful, depraved, dead in their trespasses, enemies of God will not and CANNOT have the correct perspective. My burden stems from witnessing a modern day Laodicean church full of lukewarm "christians" who's first priority mirrors that of the world, SELF! The epistle of James shines light upon the schisms and  quarrels in the church and how at the core lies the intent of a sinful heart, selfish desires, which, when left unchecked, become the root of all bitterness, envy, and strife! 

All of this, just as every sin, leads back to the ultimate sin of idolatry. When we are carried away in our lusts we are shouting at God that His way and His priorities and His prescriptive will are wrong and that ours are right and thus we assume the throne of our own hearts to become our own god!

Even good intentions coupled with good motives may be idolatrous and lead to our demise. For example, our culture is riddled with broken marriages that are a result of misplaced priorities. In the marriage covenant relationship many place children above the spouse, self interests above the covenant, and only honor the covenant when they're happy or feel that the other party is working as hard as they are in the marriage. All of these are skewed! The priority in the marriage covenant relationship is what binds it, GOD! In order scripturally the marriage covenant relationship priority list looks like this, God, Spouse, everything else. This too plays out in our relationship(marriage) with Christ. Just as many put the product of the marriage(kids) above the covenant itself, we tend to put the product of our relationship with Christ ahead of the relationship itself. For example, sometimes ministry, servitude, theology, the church, and so on become the priority when the relationship covenant between Christ and His Bride are the ultimate priority. We worship and serve the created instead of the Creator!

So where do we go from here?

It's time to stop allowing God to have competition in your life for He has not one equal, He has no competitor, He has no step children with weekend visits! We wouldn't miss work if our arm was chewed off by a shark yet a headache keeps us from assembling (Church) with our brothers and sisters in Christ for edification. We allow secular activities, especially with our kids, to take president over spiritual growth and well being. We can watch ten hours of T.V., scroll through FB for hours, go to the lake, eat til we're about to explode yet have no time for commitment, benevolence, compassion, giving, witnessing, devotion, prayers, meditations, Bible reading, volunteering, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, comforting the destitute, or making disciples.

I mean, think about it, what drives the very choice of where we go to church? I'll go ahead and tell you that it rarely has anything to do with the biblical accuracy of the preaching but instead it usually depends of what the church can offer, what youth programs they have, what the music is like, how long is the service, what people wear, how loud is the preacher, what translation of the Bible they use, how much does the Preacher move around, and on and on and on.

Let me help you with what I feel is scriptural when it comes to a Christian's priorities. If you put yourself above anything and God below anything you're out of place yet if God is everything and you are nothing then and only then will everything else fall into place. Do you want to have purpose? Meaning? Power? It's all about priorities!