You might be surprised how many times over the years I have been tempted to quit. To quit life altogether – and to quit ministry. It’s been a good long while since I was tempted to quit life, and I give God all the glory for that miracle. But just yesterday I had thoughts about quitting ministry – for the umpteenth time. Perhaps you want to know why, and I can tell you briefly. But this message isn’t about why at times I have been tempted to quit. It’s about the exact opposite. It’s about NOT QUITTING when we’re tempted to quit.
The why? Being totally devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and being in ministry 24-7 with very little help and support in this day and age with all its challenges coupled with my personal struggles combined with how ferociously the devil attacks and tempts me at times adds up to every once in a while being tempted to quit. Enough said.
So let me tell you about NOT quitting with the hope you might be encouraged in your own life when you’re tempted to quit something – or someone.
When we’re clear God has called us to something or someone, we can CHOOSE TO OBEY GOD. We can CHOOSE NOT TO QUIT. But when we’re tempted incredibly hard to quit, even if we don’t want to quit, how can we stick with whatever or whomever God has called us to?
When we love the Lord with all our hearts as we are commanded to do and want to please, honor, obey, serve, adore, praise, worship, and glorify Him as we should desire to do, THE LORD WILL GIVE US ALL WE NEED TO NOT QUIT. He will give us EVERYTHING necessary to press on.
No matter how much I’ve been tempted over the years to quit life and/or ministry, this is what I have done to not fall into the temptation of quitting. I recommend as the Lord leads you that you do the same!
- Turn to the Lord.
- Cry out to the Lord.
- Seek the Lord.
- Pray to the Lord.
- Pour out my/your heart to the Lord.
- Spend time alone in His presence.
- Read the Bible and live by it.
- Listen for God’s voice speaking to my/your heart.
- Humble myself/yourself before Him.
- Make a conscious effort to praise and worship and sing to Him even when I/you struggle.
- Reach out to my/your fellow Jesus followers for love, prayer, encouragement, and support.
- CHOOSE to obey Him.
- CHOOSE to keep going forward IN THE STRENGTH OF GOD FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!
I have written a number of devotional messages over the years about not quitting. And I will likely write more. I believe we could all use encouragement when it comes to refusing to quit when God is leading us to carry on!
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 KJV