Oh man, how many times have I considered that. Throughout these past weeks in school, there have been so many times when I feel overcome with temptation to just stop reading my Bible, to stop praying, to stop attempting to go out of my way to love people. I just hear that voice telling me that if I give up-it's okay, God will still love me..Life will just be easier.
Man, that voice is of the ENEMY!
"Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." -1 Peter 5:8
Guys, when the word of God mentions an enemy..He means an ENEMY-especially when he's talking about Satan. This isn't petty drama that we see between kids at school. Satan will do what he can to devour us- to try and get us to give up, and to give in to him. Why? Because he's scared. Because he knows the potential of every single person in this world-their potential to bring others to Christ, and to honor the Lord in everything we do. But, like I talked about in a blog post a week or so ago- God's got this battle in the bag.
But what do we do when we feel like giving up?
What would you do if i told you that when you feel like giving up...to just give up?
Because when it gets right down to it, we're humans, and we're weak-our endurance in the race we're running for Christ wont last us long, especially when we're under attack.
Really, when I started feeling tempted to become complacent again, I had to take off my cool pants and let go of my pride.I realized that I started treating my walk with the Lord like a walk by myself. I started to become so action-focused that it was no wonder I was tired-I wasn't leaning on HIM!
Okay. So back it up. At the beginning of this post I mentioned how I wanted to give up, to stop reading my bible, etc.
Yeah, there's definitely a HUGE difference between giving it up to the Lord and just giving up. But the point is that when I come to the point that I feel like I can't go on anymore, that I can't continue living for the Lord-then that's such a crucial time to go running to the Lord and His word for shelter. And there's something beautiful about that, because then it stops being about what I do-and it starts to be a healing process that Abba gets to work in me(:
When I start to feel really hardcore tempted to give up, I just have tolook at another time where things were really intense-where I was feeling really tempted to throw in the towel, I kind of just ask myself..
Well, you didn't give up then, did you?
And no, i haven't. And that's because of one reason-Jesus Christ. It seems like no matter how tired I am, no matter how weary I've become, He unfailingly supplies me with just enough to continue on in the hope I have in Him. Guys-HE SUSTAINS!
"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." -Psalm 55:22
"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." -Isaiah 46:4
Those verses offer so much comfort to me, because it is literally God promising us that until the day we die He is there, upholding us. That's why it's so important to draw near to the Lord-even, and ESPECIALLY when we feel like giving up. God is always faithful. Who are we to question God's faithfulness, his presence, him always being with us-just because we're tired? I really do believe that when we are to the point of giving up, that's when we become completely dependent on Jesus. When we are so exhausted and tired, I think that's the best time for us to run to Jesus with empty hands. Because when our hands are empty, if we lift them up to Him..Guys, we are refilled again.
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