On any given day, you can find me having sporadic bouts of praise and worship in my living room, kitchen, or bedroom. With no preacher, no Hammond B3, and no neighbor to hi-five, I go in all by myself. That popular church saying holds true for me – “When I think of the goodness of Jesus, and all He’s done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah!” I honestly become overwhelmed with emotion whenever I reflect upon the Lord’s goodness, grace, and mercy in my life. I often get a serious case of the can’t-help-its and let my floors have it!
A few days ago, after encouraging a young lady to not give up on her life, I reminisced on a time in my own life when my prayer was frequently “Lord, just let me give up!” I worshipped God from the depths of my soul until my tear ducts dried up and my words became incoherent. Why? Because He did not grant my amiss request.
I have experienced my fair share of distress, disdain, and discomfort throughout my life. Like many other women, molestation and the absence of my father - among the plethora of bad choices I made - led me into a life of sexual immorality, addiction, depression, and low self-esteem. I had sunken so low, and become so accustomed to my hard-knock life, that when I finally reached a place where I actually wanted to get a grip on my downward spiraling life, it proved to be too challenging. Praying was easy, but believing that I’d ever see the answers to my pleas for help, hope, and healing was extremely difficult.
There were times when it seemed that the more I prayed and tried to make steps towards a better life, something would always happen to knock me backwards. Constantly being knocked down by the blows of life caused me to feel that giving up and accepting that things were as good as they were going to ever be, would be much easier than walking a path of faith that seemed to get me nowhere close to my land flowing with milk and honey.
The more depressed I became, the more I convinced myself that I’d be better off throwing in the towel. But no matter how much I wanted to quit, or how often I cried “Lord, I give up” I am so thankful that His mercy kept me when I didn’t want to be kept.
Had I given up during those tough seasons, I never would have known the beauty of God’s plans for my life. I would have missed out on seeing the Lord’s promise to give me hope and a future becoming manifest in me. Although my current journey is neither perfect, nor devoid of challenging circumstances, I am walking on a much smoother plain these days, and God has been – and continues to be - faithful to perfect everything that concerns me.
When I compare my today to my yesterday, I realize that it would have been crazy of me to give up back then. My sufferings of the past do not compare to the glory that is now being revealed in me. Giving up was definitely an option I wanted to choose for myself, but I am thankful that it was not the one God intended for me.
Neither is it what He intends for you.
Life gets hard for everyone; none of us are exempt. And sometimes the storm can become so boisterous that you’d rather be swept away with the wind than try to fight through it. But today I’ve come to encourage you to keep pressing onward; don’t give up. It may not seem like it right now, but it will get better. If you give up now, you’ll miss out on all of the wonderful works the Lord intends to do in, through, and for you. The very same God that brought me through the toughest of times will do the same thing for you; He is not a respecter of persons.
Consider Hannah. If she had allowed her years of barrenness to cause her to give up on her desire to bare children, she never would have experienced the joy of birthing Samuel. (1 Samuel 1:1-28)
Consider the woman with the issue of blood. After twelve years of hemorrhaging and spending all of her money trying to find a cure that was of no avail, she could have given up and accepted that there was no hope for her ever being healed. But she didn’t. She kept the faith and pressed her way to Jesus. Because she didn’t give up, she was made whole. (Mark 5:25-35)
Consider Job. He lost everything he had, and was sorely afflicted from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. He could have cursed God and died during his challenging season; instead, he decided to fight through it, and wait until his change came. Because he never gave up, the Lord fully restored him and gave him double for His trouble. (Job 42:10-17)
No matter where you are, or what you’re facing right now, please do not give up in the face of hard times. Better days are ahead. Do not allow the enemy that comes in the form of frustration, weariness, and hopelessness, steal, kill, or destroy the abundant life God has promised to you. He that began the good work in you is faithful to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)
Endure hardness as a good soldier (2 Timothy 2:3), and as Philippians 4:6 (The Message) says, “Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
In your own strength you will fail, but if you connect to The Power Source, Jesus Christ, His strength will become perfect in your weakness. His strength will help you to hold on. Whatever you do, don’t give up.
Did this word connect with you? If so, I’d love for you to share in the comments section or by emailing me at lcollins@eewmagazine.com.