Normally I try to write blog posts that apply to everyone, but not today. Today I’m talking to a specific group of people.
If you feel like you cannot live another day in a loveless marriage, I’m talking to you. If you feel like you’re holding on by your financial fingernails, I’m talking to you. If you feel like you cannot pray another prayer for a sick loved one, a wayward child, or a hardhearted spouse, I’m talking to you. If you feel like you’re the only one doing what’s right while the rest of the world rides the bullet train to destruction, I’m talking to you. If you feel like you’re the only one committed to remain sexually pure, I’m talking to you. The rest of you may leave the room. For those who remain, here’s what the Lord wants to say to you today:
You cannot quit.
Why?
Because Christians don’t quit. Christians persevere under suffering. Christians remain faithful during dark times. Christians pray even when nothing happens. Christians keep believing even when everyone else gives up. They say with Job, “Even though he slay me, I will continue to trust in him.” They say with Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, “Our God is able . . . but even if he doesn’t, we will not bow.” They say with Jacob, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” They say with Stephen, “Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do.” They say with Jesus, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Your flesh wants to quit, but the Spirit of Christ that lives inside you will give you the ability to hold on. And not just hold on, but be victorious. When you are weak, Jesus will be strong in you. When you think you can’t take another step, pray another prayer, or survive another day, you will, because Christ will strengthen you. And when you get through this—and you will—your faith will be stronger, your testimony will shine, and you will receive the crown of life that God promises to those who persevere under trial (Jas. 1:12). Dear friend, don’t quit. One day very soon, it will be worth it all.
Now it's your turn. When have you encountered a situation where you wanted to quit but you didn't?What happened when you persevered?
Quitting is mighty tempting sometimes. A body grows weary striving, persevering, and believing when all the evidence and sometimes your own spirit says Quit. Give Up. Surrender. In my last post, I shared Part I of 4 Reasons You Can't Quit.Today I'll share two more. If you missed Part I, click here. Reason 3: A breakthrough may be just around the corner. My husband, David, became a Christian at age 17. Excited about his newfound faith and eager to pass along the joy and life transformation he was experiencing, he shared the Gospel with his older brother, Luther. Luther was a rough and tough man’s man who wasn’t interested in “religion.” He liked his life the way it was, and he didn’t need his little brother “preaching to him.” One day he got so mad that he threatened him. “If you ever talk to me about religion again, I will punch you in the face.” David stopped sharing. But he didn’t stop praying. He prayed for his brother for 26 years. He continued to ask God for opportunities to share the Gospel again, but he knew it would have to be with Luther’s permission and on Luther’s terms. One day Luther received news he didn’t want to hear: “You have lung cancer.” David went to see him. With fear and trembling, he shared the Gospel one more time. “I’ll think about it,” Luther said. Two weeks later he confessed his sin to God and asked Christ to be his Savior. What if David had quit? I know God could and would have saved Luther another way, but David would have missed out on the joy of being part of persevering in faith. You can’t quit, because a breakthrough may be just around the corner.
Reason 4: Others are watching you. Just like we don’t sin in a vacuum, we also don’t struggle in a vacuum. It’s easy to think that our difficulties only affect ourselves, but they don’t. We are part of what Hebrews 11 calls “a great cloud of witnesses.” As you persevere in prayer and faith for your prodigal, others are watching you. As you refuse to give up on your marriage, others are watching you. As you trust God for financial provision and see him meet your needs, others are watching you. As you suffer for doing what's right, others are watching you. There are two groups of people watching you struggle: the believers and the skeptics. Those who share your faith are watching to see if God is going to enable you to persevere and see how he answers your prayers and meets your needs. Those who are skeptical of your faith are watching you, too. They’re watching to see if God is going to enable you to persevere and if he answers your prayers and meets your needs. They’re wondering too, if you’ll continue to believe in God when trials come. They want to see if the faith you’ve proclaimed in the good times is strong enough to carry you through the bad times. If you quit, both groups lose, because faith is contagious, and so is unbelief. If you not only survive your trial, but meet God in the midst of it, others’ faith will grow. They’ll know that the same God who met your needs, carried you through, and worked on your behalf can do the same for them. Every time you exercise your spiritual muscles, other believers will grow stronger because of your example. The unsaved will also benefit when you choose to persevere. As they watch you weather your trials, they’ll see a powerful example of how God can and does work in his children's lives. Even if nothing changes, you'll have the opportunity to demonstrate the genuineness of your faith. Like Satan when he tested Job, people expect Christians to serve God when he is blessing them. Trials, however, have a way of weeding out the nominally committed. A Christian who remains steadfast despite difficulties shines a bright light into an unsaved person’s soul. When you’re tempted to quit, look around you. Think of the Christians who are watching your example. Then think of the people you love who don’t know Christ. You can’t quit, because others are watching you. "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58). As I conclude this challenge not to quit, I’d like to leave you with my favorite passage of hope from the book of Isaiah, 43:1-3: “…this is what the LORD says—he who created you, __________ (insert your name here), he who formed you,: "'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;'”
Life is hard. And some days, it’s all we can do to lift our heads from the pillow and face another day. Loneliness that throbs like an aching toothache steals our sleep and shadows our days. Grief for a loved one snatched away stalks every happy gathering and quiet moment. Sickness and pain torment our bodies and threaten our lives. The loss of a job, a relationship, or a dream steals our hope. Sometimes the desire to quit is fleeting, and we shake it off and move on. Other times it backs a 50-foot moving van up to our front door and takes up residence. It’s OK to feel like quitting. You’re in good company if you do. Moses did. Drafted into service to lead a recalcitrant army of wimps and whiners, he was so sick of the Israelites’ complaining that he asked God to kill him to put him out of his misery. “Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!” (Numbers 11:13-15). Elijah also wanted to quit. Exhausted, alone, and running from wicked Queen Jezebel, he came to a broom bush, sat down under it, and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:1-4). And then there was Job. Poor Job, just trying to live righteously and be a good father to his kids. Devastated by the loss of his fortune, his health, and every single one of his children, he cursed the day he was born and wondered why he hadn’t died in his mother’s womb. "Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” (Job 3:11). If you quit, you’ll also be in good company. There was a scientist researching a cure for cancer, but he quit. There was a diplomat developing a peace plan for the Middle East, but he quit. There was a teacher, beating back the darkness in the public school system, but she quit. There was a missionary sharing the gospel in the 10/40 window, but she quit. There was a youth worker challenging teens to follow Christ, but he quit. There was a police officer trying to uphold the law, but he quit. There was a husband, struggling to stay committed in a difficult marriage, but he quit. And there was a mother, caring for her young children with few resources, but she quit. But if you don’t quit, you’ll be in better company. Moses, in desperation, flung himself on God and said, “I can’t do this alone. You have to go with me!” God used him to save and deliver the nation of Israel (Ps 106:23). Elijah allowed God to feed him and watch over him while he slept. He listened for God’s still, small voice in the earthquake and the flood. And he received God’s comfort and assurance that he was not alone. He climbed back down the mountain, completed the work God had for him, and retired in a blaze of glory (2 Kings 2:11). And Job. Poor Job. He continued to trust God, love his wife, and pray for his friends. God used him to show millions of believers how to walk through trials with faith and courage. And he blessed the second half of Job’s life more than the first. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,” Job said (Job 13:15). So what’s the secret to continuing rather than quitting? Two of my favorite Christians, the apostle Paul and Elisabeth Elliot, answer this question. And before you say, “They didn’t know what I’m going through,” listen to Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:8: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.”
Then listen to what Paul discovered about the reason for his trials:
“But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope . . .” (9,10). Paul reached the end of his human strength and tapped into a power source far greater than anything he could muster up—God’s. And because Paul didn’t quit, God used him to evangelize Europe and write over half of the New Testament. And then there’s Elisabeth Elliot, whose first husband was martyred on the mission field when she was 30, leaving her with a 10-month-old daughter, and whose second husband died from cancer. Because she didn’t quit, she and her fellow missionary wives led an entire tribe to faith in Christ and mentored millions of Christian women through books, radio shows, and one-on-one discipleship. How did she keep going when she wanted to quit? Listen to her words: “Trust in God, obey him, and do the next thing.” If you feel like quitting today, you’re not alone. And you’re not a failure. You’re in the perfect place for God to do something absolutely amazing. It may not happen in a day. Or in a week. Or even in a year, but it will happen. "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'” (Mat. 25:23).
May you find your strength in God and do the next thing.
I suspect there are quite a few busy women on your Christmas list. Friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and your children's teachers, coaches, and babysitters, just to name a few. If you'd like to give them a gift that will draw them closer to the Lord, encourage them to spend time in God's Word, and think biblically, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is the gift you're looking for.
And what about those special women in your life that may not have a relationship with the Lord?In the last devotion in the book, I share what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.Giving someone you care about a copy of HFG is not just passing along spiritual encouragement, it's a gentle, winsome way to share the gospel.
This is the whale I almost saw in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
This is the loggerhead turtle baby I almost saw hatch out of a nest on Edisto Island. Over my lifetime, I've almost been selected to give the speech at my high school graduation, almost won a scholarship to the She Speaks Writer's Conference, almost learned to speak Spanish, and almost mastered the discipline of a daily quiet time. Almost, but not quite.
Are you ever plagued by the almost-but-not-quite syndrome? You almost learn to live in faith not fear. You almost learn to control your tongue. You almost learn to respect your husband, your boss, or your coworker. You almost quit smoking, lose weight, master your anger, quit watching soap operas. Almost, but not quite. It comforts me to know the mighty apostle Paul was plagued by the almost-but-not-quite syndrome too. This was his desire: "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings" (Phil. 3:10). At the time of this writing, he was stuck in the almost-but-not-quite status. "Not that I have already obtained all this," he says regretfully, "or have already been made perfect." Like us, he had his eye on the prize, but day after day he fell short. I'm sure he, like us, sometimes felt discouraged, disappointed, and downright disgusted with his failure to arrive. I wonder if he ever felt like giving up? I do sometimes, do you? If you're struggling with a whale you cannot yet see, take comfort today from Paul's wise words: "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:12-14). Will you join me today in forgetting yesterday, setting our eyes on the prize, and trying again, and again, and again -- in God's strength?
"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13).
May I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women? Today's women want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture. You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like: • Is my situation hopeless? • If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? • Why have you allowed this to happen to me? • No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day.
Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.
Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar,