The Temptation to Quit

“And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not give up.”

— Galatians 6:9

The temptation to quit is a very powerful temptation, because unlike some other temptations it does not take any effort to quit. To quit, one does not have to do anything. He just stops, sits down, and gives up.

Quitting is just a matter of stopping our fight with entropy, which is always tending to push everything down and bring it into chaos and disorder.

We need to realize that we quit through discouragement because we lose hope—we lose the hope of success. The great missionary, William Carey, said that no great enterprise could ever be carried out without hope of success. The Bible says, “So now abide faith, hope, and love, these three” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith looks to the past and anchors itself in the promises of God. Hope looks to the future and inevitably flows out of that faith in the promises of God—the promises that say we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). We shall reap in the future, if we do not give up hope (Galatians 6:9).

Having faith in the promises of God and hope for a victorious future, we are enabled to live a life of love in the present. Hope is a powerful motivating factor, and it is that which is guaranteed by God when He says we can do all things through Christ. Therefore, we need to take Him at His Word and believe in Him, so we don’t lose heart and give up.

Lord, give me the strength not to lose heart and give up. Give me the ability to persevere despite the obstacles. Thank You that You can do the impossible. Thank You that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
PERSEVERE TO THE END.