“Darkness comes. In the middle of it, the future looks blank. The temptation to quit is huge. Don’t. You are in good company. You will argue with yourself that there is no way forward. But with God, nothing is impossible. He has more ropes and ladders and tunnels out of pits than you can conceive. Wait. Pray without ceasing. Hope.” ~ John Piper
Learning not to quit is one of the first things our parents tried to teach us. When children are growing and making all sorts of first attempts at things, there is a tendency to quit trying to do things that are difficult and go, instead, for the easy tasks. That might help us to become proficient in some areas; but, it will leave us lacking in many others.
Giving up does not teach us a thing. Giving up can harm us in so many ways as we will quit attempting to do things that even appear to be difficult after a while. We need to learn how to do things, all sorts of things, in order to have the best advantage in life as possible.
One thing is certain, we will give up a lot quicker if we count solely on ourselves rather than on the help of other people. If we think that we need to do everything alone, we can easily become quitters. We need to learn to rely on the help of others in life. For that matter, we need to rely on God’s help as well.
That’s the catch for many people. They have become so accustomed to rely on their own wherewithal that they don’t ask other people for help. They don’t turn to God in their need, either.
When we quit relying on the help that can come to us from others as well as from God, we put ourselves in jeopardy of giving up. Because, truth be told, we are never going to be able to do everything ourselves. We all have particularly gifts and talents, yes. However, we also have weaknesses and shortcomings. It is in those that we need assistance.
God made us for one another. He did not fashion us to be alone. Perhaps that is because He wanted us to be used to seeking the aid of others so that we could more naturally ask Him for assistance as well. God will always be there for us in our need. Rely on Him and ask Him for the help that you require. He is ready, willing, and able to respond with abundant help.
FAITH ACTION: If you know someone who appears to have given up, reach out to that person and offer, at the very least, a listening ear. If they ask for help, don’t be reluctant to give it to them.