How many times have you felt like just giving up?
A great preacher called Bob Mumford once addressed a leadership conference with these words: “We’ve all thought of giving up. The difference is some of us haven’t.”
We look at what we’ve done, and often the results we expected just didn’t come. Money, jobs, relationships, family, church - the list of disappointments goes on.
A large part of the problem lies in our false expectations. We start out thinking the Lord will answer all our prayers, give us everything we ask for and generally transport us into a state of complete comfort and contentment.
When that doesn’t happen, we are forced to look in the mirror and begin to count the cost of following Jesus.
Often apparent disappointments are in fact God’s invitation to look more deeply at our motivations. Were we seeking the kingdom or just our own fulfilment?
Other times there just doesn’t seem to be a reason for things happening other than they give us an opportunity in our desperation to dig ourselves deeper into God.
A lot of what we sow in life comes to nothing. Jesus illustrated it well in his parable. Some of the seed was eaten by the birds, some instantly died out, some eventually was choked by weeds, and only the last portion bore fruit.
The point of the parable, in my opinion, is that the sower did not give up. In spite of the fact that the first three seasons of his sowing were pointless, he persevered and eventually succeeded.
How many of us have quit before that fourth season of sowing? How many have blamed God and people and walked away?
If in your search for oil you’ve struck nothing but rocks, don’t go back to God and tell him you’ve done enough. Jesus told another parable about the servant who worked all day and then came home to serve his master at night. The point of that parable was that in the end, God does reward faithfulness. But you have to persevere even if it means pressing into the pain.
In the midst of that pain, feel free to express your feelings to the Lord. He knows them anyway and won’t be offended. Find friends who will share your sorrow and encourage you to keep going. But whatever you do, don’t give in to bitterness, against the Lord or against others. You’ll only be shooting yourself in the foot. Jesus told yet another story about that.
One thing I can guarantee. In the end, you are the only person who can frustrate the purposes of God for your life. God has a way of using every discouragement and roadblock to bring good. No weapon forged by the enemy against you will prevail.
If all you can do some days is put one foot ahead of another, you’ve won. You’re moving forward. You may take longer than you thought, and you may wind up in a different place than you thought, but you’ll get to where God wants you to be.
Just don’t give up.
CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH DAVID & ELAINE CAMPBELL IN HELPING TO SUSTAIN THEIR ACTIVE MINISTRY.
AWAKENING MINISTRIES // FOUNDATION of FAITH Project
Foundation of Faith Project is strengthening generations in faith and bringing beautiful changes to the communities around them. Through teaching, mentoring and coaching, many are finding out who they are and who they are destined to be. They are bringing more to their world. David Campbell is the key leader in this initiative and you can support him financially directly through Awakening Ministries.
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