Do You Ever Feel Like Giving Up?

Written by Jeremy M. Caverley


The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.  ~Author Unknown

So you say that you want to quit? Am I getting that right? Questions come and go about this in our lives all the time. Such as the can I do this or should we move or go. It seems to be a never ending cycle, but there is hope! What is this new path I speak of? It is quite simple, yet always complex to those who decide to walk in it.

Saints are sinners who kept on going.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson

 We as Christian tend to feel at times the pressure of this world. Trying to live within it yet not of it as the Bible says. So how can we make the proper balance?  Just like the two quotes above it is about a mindset that you don't stop and realize that we the body of Christ need each other to move forward. Yes, by grace we are saved, but still we need to depend on each other since we are the parts of something more than ourselves.

 Let us look at some scripture:

Romans 5:2-4 (King James Version)

 ²By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 ³And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

 ⁴And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

James 1:3-5 (New International Version, ©2011)

³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

So I highlighted a few phases in each Bible verses. Words such as faith, perseverance, glory, tribulations, and hope. How can all of these words in two different passages be connected? It is because each is part of a network of things that start in a physical/spiritual realm and end up in your life one way or the other.

Let's start with Romans, now Paul was being accused of just about anything they could throw at him and the same goes for the Book of James. These are the foundations of Christianity as we know it. A group of people who desire Jesus Christ in their lives even when the times not only get hard, but also when their life is at the line for it.

Now I have to pause and say, why can't we mimic this more in today society? As greed, power, lust, and the things of this world continue to get easier access into our homes, work, friends, and family, and everything in between, it is no wonder why this world is so dark. Yet, still Jesus Christ loves us and wants a relationship with us?!

How STRANGE can that be? It isn't. You see God sent his son to die for us, not only to give us eternal life. But to make our lives right here on the earth easier to deal with. While we continue to walk in our flesh, everything and anything can go wrong and it will. Yes even when you follow Christ, it could lead you to death, but as you read the stories of martyrs across the world in present day. Most of them will say, I did it for the cause of Christ. Now I do have to say the average person usually won't be persecuted until death, but you get the picture.

In my 30 years of life, I have been up and down many times, but I myself alone made the choice to continue. Because I saw the bigger picture. When life gets so busy you can't see anything but yourself, that is one way you set yourself up for a fall.

KEY THINGS to keep you on track:

1. Daily Bible readings that help you read the whole Bible or work through a part that assists you in what you need for each day.

2. Daily prayer-Forgiveness, Worship, Requests for others, Requests for yourself....in this order

3. Connect with your fellow Christians/finding an accountability partner

4. Attend Church

This list can go on and on if you like, but I will stick with these four for now. As you get older, the more medical check ups are required, the same goes for your walk with Christ. You can't be the "LONE RANGER" of Christianity and expect things to just work out for you. As you read the Word and pray it gives you the two way communication to not only learn about God, but also talk to Him, and if your patient enough "LISTEN" for His voice. Having friends in the body of Christ is most important so that you can keep each other accountable and still find people who can relate to you and have fun. This can be done online, in person, and at church. It might take some time, but you will find one soon enough.

So now back to the main topic: Do YOU still feel like giving up? Have you worked through the four steps?  If there is a certain area in your life you can't find victory over it's time you tell someone else about your struggles. Keeping things bottled in is never a good thing. Find a pastor, minister or strong brother/sister in Christ you can trust and share with them what is going on.

Proverbs 27:17 (New Living Translation)

 ¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
      so a friend sharpens a friend.

Having an accountability partner is something Christians need to practice more often. Yes, having a daily prayer life is good, but you also need friends who can love you and care for your needs too.