Don't Quit!

James 1:2-4 (MSG)

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

If you're in the midst of a storm, you may think the easiest thing to do to make this all go away is to simply quit. Quit school, quit going to this church, quit moving forward, quit this jacked-up marriage, quit walking out your purpose. NEWS FLASH!!!! If we are going to achieve God’s purpose for our lives, we can expect to face trials and only after preparing for and responding properly to difficult times can we then count our trials as joy.

I recently read something that caused me to pause and ponder: "What if God's plan is to change us through this before He changes our circumstances in this? We always want God to hurry up and change our circumstances, to rescue us; but just maybe a work must take place in us so that we can mature and develop, growing to the place of needing nothing.

Only when we see beyond the trials will we really be able to patiently endure. Paul tells us in Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us". When we look to the joy that is to come, we can patiently endure any present sufferings or discouragements.

I want to encourage you today, right where you are, I don't know what you're dealing with but whatever it is, it is not bigger than our Almighty God. Don't listen to the enemy, you got this! Don't lose your joy, don't lose your confidence. On the other side of this conflict, is promised-land provisions. There's no telling what all God has in store for you. But if you quit, you will never know.

Declare today that "QUITTING IS NOT AN OPTION!" It may seem impossible to pick up the broken pieces, but with God, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! What God is doing in you will not only cause you to become mature and complete but it will be evident to those around you. So, DON'T

QUIT!!