Don't Give Up!

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Galatians 6:9)

This scripture has dual application to our lives: on a personal level and also within a community of faith. We have a responsibility to those we live and work around. God will reward individual faithfulness, but what we learn from many of the scriptures is that He created us for one another. It is important to care for others and contribute to a winning attitude.

When people grow weary, when they lose strength, endurance, vigor or freshness, they can have a defeatist attitude. The mind becomes foggy and creative juices seem to be at a standstill. Rather than enduring, one can feel like giving up. Weariness can come from many places, but one frequent cause is a lack of encouragement from others.

Our actions and words can be a source of strength to those on our team. However, we also need to be accountable to ourselves to ward off weariness. Some people have managed to do this very effectively; my goal is to learn more about how they accomplish this.

In the Bible, Caleb was part of a team of 12 who went to spy out land that was promised to them by God. There were giants in the land whose size made them look like grasshoppers. Upon looking at the giants, Caleb and Joshua remembered that God had made them a promise, while the other 10 forgot all about the promise or thought it could not stand against the giants. The promise was that God would give them the land and He would go with them. All 12 were supposed to come back with a good report. Two reports were from those with a winning attitude and 10 reports were from those who had grown weary. They were ready to quit, they were ready to throw in the towel. The report of the ten was detrimental to themselves and discouraging to thousands of others.

This has taught me how important it is for leaders to exercise good judgment in making decisions, because of the profound effect it can have on others. Caleb and Joshua rested on the trustworthiness of God’s word and did not grow weary. Although the promise was not fulfilled until 45 years later they remained faithful, waiting for their due season.

As I write this, I am encouraging myself so that I don’t grow weary. There are promises God has made to me that have not come to pass. My prayer point today is that during our prayer time, let us recommit our trust in God’s promises and encourage those who seem to be growing weary to hold on to what God has said. These three scriptures may help you to do that:

• For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
• The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
• Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. (Psalm 119:11)

God bless you! I will be praying for you.

Are you in need of prayer?