I want to talk to those of you who might feel like giving up maybe at one time you had a goal
or a dream maybe a vision and you started it with great anticipation but
you maybe hit some resistance you stalled maybe you've had very little or no
progress and frustration has sit in you're discouraged and you feel like giving up I don't
know what it might be for you but maybe there was a relationship that you tried to restore
and when you reached out to bring healing things didn't go well and now the relationship is worse
today than it was before or maybe there are those of you that you're really fighting
to save your marriage you're doing everything that you can but you feel like you're running
out of fight and maybe you're losing hope life is full of twists and turns and it's easy to
become weary and finally come to a place where you're no longer willing to keep on keeping on
quitting is easy that's why so many people do it but you're not one of them don't ever quit
Micah chapter 7 and verse 8 rejoice not against me o my enemy for when I fall I shall arise
you might get knocked down by the enemy but it's not over God will never say it's over until you
win hallelujah so if you get knocked down get up the bible says in Proverbs 24:16 a righteous
man falleth seven times but riseth again all you've got to do to beat the devil if you get
knocked down seven times get up eight amen never give up never give up never give up never quit
what do you think separates average people from amazing people what do you think separates those
who are really fulfilled in life from those who are often empty what do you think is the
difference between those who struggle and those who succeed let me tell you what it's not it's not
their intelligence and it's not their appearance it's not their talent or their education it's not
who or what they know the difference is their perseverance it's their perseverance it's their
willingness to stick to it it's their grit to finish it is their drive to persevere
it is their refusal to quit now you may raise the question like what's the big deal
if I quit and the reason is because every decision you make is actually a vote
toward your future every time you decide in the moment you're voting what kind of person are you
and whenever you decide to quit what you're doing is you're voting that you really don't
have what it takes that you're not a finisher on the other hand when you stand strong in the Lord
and you persevere and you don't back down and you finish you're voting I am a finisher
I persevere when I commit I don't quit why because I am a finisher you're always voting how do you
run your race how do you finish well you don't run it for you you run it for God
you run it for God you run it for God and then here's what you do let me just tell you what
you do you want you want to finish a race here's what you do you take the next step
that's what you do you take the next step you take the next step and the great news is you
don't have to finish your race today you just take the next step John says if ye continue in my word
you will be my disciples indeed and you'll know the truth and the truth will make you
free and that little word continued jumped out of the bible into my heart and the Lord
said this is the missing ingredient in your life you have always been a great starter
but you've never been a great finisher and if you don't develop the art of continuing you will never
be the minister I want you to be the husband I want you to be the father I want you to be
you have to settle it once and for all that quit from this day forward is no longer an
option in your life and Paul makes a statement I want to encourage you take this verse write it
down this one verse is so crucial for the life of a follower of Jesus listen to what he says
he says let's not get tired of doing what is good for at just the right time we will reap a harvest
of blessing if we do not give up he's saying that if you persevere through the difficulty
if you continue to put one foot in front of the other when you want to quit
there is a harvest that God is going to bring into your life a harvest of blessing keep showing up
do not quit there is good ahead notice the promise to those who refuse to quit
they reap a harvest in other words what you are believing for will come to pass in your life
God makes no promises to bring things to pass for those who quit don't give up
don't quit you don't have to be among the number of people that quit where it matters most
you can be a person that perseveres when you frame it knowing that there is a harvest ahead
there is a crown of righteousness for those who endure there is a reward from your Heavenly Father
for every tear that you cry in every moment that you pour out and you do good and nobody sees it
the God of the universe sees it and he rewards he blesses those who are faithful and obedient so my
challenge my encouragement to you is do not give up do not throw in the towel where it matters most
see the enemy what he will do to you is he will take all the elements of quitting and he will
highlight the benefits of quitting oh if you quit you won't be so tired anymore oh if you quit you
won't hurt anymore oh if you just give give in right now it's going to be so much easier on you
he'll highlight all the benefits of quitting and he'll diminish all the rewards of perseverance
but your Heavenly Father what he wants to do for you today is he wants to lift up
the reward of perseverance he wants you to see an image of yourself that is filled with love
and joy and peace patience kindness he wants you to get a vision for your life that in the
decades to come your life can be more fruitful that the most fruitful years of your life can be
in the future that when you see that it changes the way you think see the pain of quitting the
pain of throwing in the towel the pain of regret is always greater than the pain of perseverance
say one more time the pain of regret is far greater than the pain of perseverance and God
is saying if you persevere today I will reward you but there's only one way that you can do it
there's only one way that you can continue on do not quit continue to show up