Don’t Ever Give Up or Quit

2Timothy 3:1(NLT)
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.”

The New Testament gives us the record of the Apostle Paul’s life and ministry. After he was converted on the road to Damascus and gave his life to Christ, he faced death and hardships many times. He was hated for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and gained many enemies. To say that the Apostle Paul endured some tough times is an understatement, but he never gave up or quit and neither should we. Jesus Christ commanded us in Matthew 6:33 to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first. This means that we should never place anything or anyone above our Heavenly Father, and we should always go to Him with anything we need. The Apostle Paul understood this. He went to God in prayer with every obstacle he faced. He knew that our Heavenly Father is the Source of all blessings and the lesson for us is to trust in this with all our hearts.

In 2Timothy 3:1, Paul told Timothy, one of his fellow brothers in the Lord, that there would be great difficulty in the last days. It is important that we know that we are currently living in the time frame that Paul spoke about. There can be no doubt in our minds that our modern times have brought about astonishing accomplishments in humanity. Our intelligence has advanced in incredible ways, but so has our arrogance, apathy, and darkness. Our attitude about the goodness of God has plummeted to the depths of doubt and unbelief, and the wickedness of the world has far exceeded any good it has achieved. Things are difficult, and they will become even more challenging as time progresses.

As God’s people, He tells us not to add to the confusion and chaos of the world, but to have faith in the hope that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, offers. No matter what we’re facing in life at this moment, no matter how difficult or tough it may seem, victory in Christ is ours.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. Because of him, we can run the race of life with confidence, but if we forget this and begin to place our hope in other things and people, we are going to have problems. This is especially true when it comes to the most significant person in our lives. As women, some of us make the man in our lives our everything, and this will lead us down the wrong path. Jesus Christ truly is our everything, and when we place another person ahead of him, we’re headed for disappointment.

When disappointment leads to heartbreak, we sometimes give up on ourselves. The gut-wrenching pain pushes us to our limits, and we start to lose hope in the victory we have in Christ. We must not quit the race to be all that God desires us to be. Instead, we must fight to resist those urges to sink in our minds and hearts. We must not lose hope and do all that we can to strengthen our faith in God. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Good News about Jesus Christ. We need to hear as much of God’s Word as possible. When we position ourselves to feast off God’s Word and digest as much of it as we can, we send a signal to our own hearts that we are clinging to hope and therefore, we are choosing to love God above all. Hebrews 11:6 assures us that Heavenly Father rewards us when we demonstrate this level of diligence in our relationship with Him.  

Hebrews 11:1(NLT) teaches that “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Even before the thing we’ve prayed to receives arrives, if it is according to God’s Will, we can claim it in the name of Jesus Christ. Yes, issues today are much more complicated, but God has not changed. Some of the situations we face in relationships are shocking and devastating, but no matter what the issue is, pray about it. Pray often and don’t claim depression and defeat, claim victory in Jesus Christ! God’s Holy Spirit lives within you, and he will help, lead, and guide you when you partner with him with your faith. The mind is where the battle for faith begins, so fight to rise your thoughts above doubt and fear and think only of God’s great plan for your life.

In Luke 18, Jesus Christ taught the disciples that they should always pray and never give up. This is the lesson he is teaching all of us today. When we’re facing problems and issues in our relationships, it can make us want to give up and quit fighting the good fight of faith. We may feel that there is nothing we do, but that is never the case. We must be diligent in prayer and faith. Most importantly, we must keep our minds and hearts anchored in the reality of our hope in Christ. We must never forget that the strength of God is within us because the Holy Spirit abides within. You are precious to God, so don’t ever give up. Claim His promises, pray often, and surrender all to Jesus Christ. Let God’s love lead your every action. Regardless of the situation, trust that God will keep His promise to love, protect, and help you as you increase in faith and follow the example of Christ. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Don't Ever Give Up or Quit”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2022. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.