Never Ever Give Up!
How many times have you found yourself in a difficult situation and all you want to do is give up? You don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, or the end of your problems. You have tried everything up to this point to no avail, giving up seems to be your only solution. I am sure that every great inventor in our day faced discouragement on a daily basis. You have to ask yourself what would have become of their marvelous inventions if they had given up at the first sign of adversity. Your answer to that is; I am not an inventor! That is true, you will not disappoint the world if you give up on your problems, but you will disappoint yourself. You will never know your full potential if you give up when the race is half run. Sure, you may have to slow down and walk part of the way, but as long as you cross the finish line that’s what really matters.
We all have times that we feel we cannot go on, and the temptation arises to give up. Satan would love nothing better than for us to give up, one less person he has to worry about. Satan would love nothing better than to pick us off one by one, just throw a little adversity in our way and we fall like a house of cards. Defeat is a mindset, and it is where we are most vulnerable. Satan tells us we can’t do it, we aren’t good enough, there is no use to try. The sad thing is we believe him! He knows our every weakness and he prays on them, chipping away at our defenses until we feel naked and weak.
We are reminded over and over in the Bible that with God all things are possible. Sometimes we suffer from short-term memory loss, and we forget that. The Bible also tells us: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. How is it we seem to forget that whenever we get tired or discouraged? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
You know I will interject a song whenever I think it is appropriate, and I think this is a cute one that reminds us not to be discouraged.
HIGH HOPES
Next time your found, with your chin on the ground
There a lot to be learned, so look around
Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant
But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time your gettin’ low
‘stead of lettin’ go
Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant
When troubles call, and your back’s to the wall
There a lot to be learned, that wall could fall
Once there was a silly old ram
Thought he’d punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram, scram
He kept buttin’ that dam
‘Cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes
He had high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time your feelin’ bad
‘stead of feelin’ sad
Just remember that ram
Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam
All problems just a toy balloon
They’ll be bursted soon
They’re just bound to go pop
Oops there goes another problem kerplop!
Songwriters: Jimmy Van Heusen / Sammy Cahn
I guess what the song is telling us is that we should keep our hopes high. The song that suits me a little better would be this one: My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, I dare not trust this sweetest frame, but holy lean on Jesus name.
As parents we often have situations in our home that don’t seem to have an answer, and we are tempted to give up. We feel that way when we try to control the situation, instead of turning it over to the Lord and leaning on him for our guidance and strength. In order for us to teach our children to depend on the Lord they have to see us do it, like I always said, teach by example.
We as authors know what it is like to be discouraged, you just have to look at our wastepaper basket to understand to what extent it has reached. If we gave up every time we hit a roadblock there would be a lot fewer books in the libraries and bookshelves. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind, and so we keep on keeping on!
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:13
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Galatians 6:9
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Luke 1:37
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
2 Chronicles 15:7
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 29:11
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28