It is too early to quit

Title: It is too early to quit

“…the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.” – Ecclesiastes 9:11

At a point in our lives we are tested to our limits. We are faced with overwhelming situations which consumed the whole of our being. Our mental, physical, emotional strength is tested to its limits. The words, “I can’t go on” echoes within the walls our minds. We feel like quitting. Like Prophet Elijah, we say “Kill me now, for I am not better than my fathers” (1 Kings 19:4), as we prepare to throw in the towel. Prophet Elijah was a powerful man of God. He could call down fire from heaven at will, yet he felt like quitting. It seems the challenges of life do not exempt anyone; both the strong and the weak feel the pressures alike.

“…he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” – Matthew 24:13

[pullquote]Winners never quit and Quitters never win [/pullquote]Jesus felt the pressure of going to the cross, yet He yielded to the will of God, knowing the will of God during tough times help us resist the devil antics (Phil 2:9). And then rely on him to help us. We cannot put our confidence in our flesh and expect God to sustain; for it is not by power nor by might but by my spirit (Zech. 4:6). Peter was sure of his sacrificial ability but when push came to shove he ran for his dear life. Jesus knew ahead of time that Peter was going to deny him, yet he made the head of his disciples. Failure is not an excuse to quit (John 21:15). The downfall of man is not in his falling but in his ability to rise after he has fallen.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man – Ps. 118:8

Process is one key part of manufacturing. Nobody gets juice out of a fruit without first squeezing it. Challenges are spiritual boot camps for Christians to develop their faith and spiritual endurance. We live in generation of thing being done very fast; we have fast internet service. Fast food service; it is normal to expect everything to be fast. The lessons of life are never at the end but through the process and the race is not to the swift.
A lady told me she has been praying for the fruit of the Spirit, especially for patience. She complained about being constantly annoyed by people. The week she was praying. I said to her the Lord is giving you opportunities to exercise and develop your fruit of patience. Temporary discomfort goes along with the permanent blessing. It might not come like an instant noodle. The things that we try to avoid might be required to get us to the next level. Many are sometimes paralysed for the fear of failing than failing itself; it is the fear of criticism. You don’t want to be criticized. All you have to do is do nothing, say nothing and be nothing. (Hebrews 2:15)
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