Where to look when you’re ready to give up
You worked hard and put in the hours, but you lost your job. You put everything you had into a marriage, and it ended in divorce. You’ve been trying to have kids with no luck.
You’ve waited for days, months, or years for an answered prayer, and nothing seems to be happening. You’ve done a lot of good, and still you find yourself in waters too deep to swim. Don’t give up.
In a letter to his church plant in Galatia, Paul writes, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). When the storms roll in and bad things happen, God is still at work. He has a purpose in the storm and a reason for the wait. Don’t let the weight of the wait keep you from seeing the goodness of God.
Just like a harvest takes time and hard work, the renewing of our hearts comes from seasons of drought, storms, and waiting. Whatever you’re facing today, remember, a harvest is coming.
3 Places to Find Strength When You Feel Like Giving Up
1. Look to the source.
“Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:3-5).
God is hope. When it feels like the darkness of life is taking over, look to the source of hope itself--God--and His light will overcome any circumstance you have.
2. Look to community.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
God did not design us to go through life alone. We have all been in a tough time at one point in our lives. All around us are people who have been where we are and who can help encourage us by sharing what Jesus has done in their lives. When you feel like giving up, there are people around you to help you through the storm.
3. Look to the future.
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).
God wants to see us grow, learn to trust Him, and enjoy the life we have. You may not see it now, but you are where you are for a reason. If today is tough, thank God for the blessings He has given you in the midst of the tough time. There is always something to be thankful for! When we thank and God for what He has done, it reorients our hearts around what He has done, not what He hasn’t done. When we see His work all around us, it becomes easier to trust Him with the circumstances we’re facing. When we learn to trust Him with today, we grow more hopeful for tomorrow. We don’t give up because we know God never gives up on us.