Don't Give Up!

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.  For at the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” – Galatians 6:9

As I look around at people that I’ve known my whole life I wonder how some have thrived even in the face of adversity while others have remained stagnant.  I wonder why even those who I know have hurt others deliberately; those who have never tried to do what is right and those who seem totally selfish have managed to progress and are alive today to tell the story of how they used to be.

I’ve often sat back and wondered how this whole life and growth thing really works.  Just recently a thought hit me.  The thought was “don’t give up.”  I know in my life I go through the motions whether in one situation or another when I just feel in my heart that I just want to give up!  Sometimes it feels as though I just can’t make it another day!  There have been times when I got into bed at night completely done with life and all of its ups and downs but I’ve realized that even in those times when I awake the next morning I choose to begin again and push forward.

I have people in my life who have though, given up.  I can’t knock them because life can be really really difficult to face each day!  Thankfully, they haven’t given up in the sense of physically taking their lives but they’ve given up hope; given up trust and given up the determination to keep moving until they see a change!  They’ve decided to settle in where they are and just wait to die.  That’s a pretty sad way to live but there are many people on this earth that have decided to do just that.

Although I find myself wavering over there from time to time, I’ve always managed to find my way back to my mustard seed sized faith; that little glimpse of hope; that tiny amount of belief that as long as there’s a God things can turn around.  There’s a saying that I’ve heard since I was a child and I haven’t found it in the bible yet but it goes “God helps those who help themselves.”  There is a similar scripture that says “faith without works is dead.”  To me, both of these sayings means the same thing, we each have a role to play in God moving and turning our situations around.  We can’t give up no matter how hard things seem!  God can change things in an instant but I truly believe that we have to push past hurt and discouragement to meet God halfway.  If we give up, I believe He’ll still keep us alive but the question is do you just want to be alive or do you want to live?  And live abundantly?  It’s not easy to hear or to say this because this is my struggle as well but we got to find the drive to continue to do our part.  God knows we can’t do it all and He wants us to rely on him when we’ve done all we can do, but it’s not pleasing to him when we decide we’ll just lie down and die.  There are so many people who’ve done just that, they look like they’re alive but inside their hearts and minds they’ve died.  Make a choice with me today to never ever give up!  There’s too much to lose and too much to gain!  Don’t give up!

  

Song to listen to: “You Shall Reap” –Dewayne Woods