Give Up

You know, it really amazes me how easily people give up on things these days.  You see it all the time, and in all aspects of life.  We’re such an instant gratification society these days that if we don’t get the results that are desired right away, then we just throw in the towel and go towards something else. 

What ever happened to the old saying that anything worth having is worth working for?  When did hard work stop paying off?  It must have happened since my parents raised me, as I was taught to work for the things that I want.  I was taught that anything worth doing was worth doing right.  I mean, if I gave up so easily I wouldn’t play sports now, would have never got into a second relationship after my first, etc.  Yet, early failure didn’t deter me; instead it made me more determined to reach the goals that I had set.

I see this same problem in some people’s Christian lives.  They get a relationship with Christ and it’s easy going at first.  Some things go great when they give it all to God, and many things are good.  Then all of a sudden they find a pothole in the road and overcorrect on their swerve.  Some see that pothole and instead of driving around it, they turn around completely and don’t travel the road any more.  Why do they give up?  Did they think that life was going to be so easy?  Or was it all of a sudden not worth the effort?  

Today I want to impress upon each of us that the effort is going to be needed in your  walk with God.  It’s not going to be smooth sailing all the time.  In fact sometimes things can get harder before they get easier.  I mean, the devil didn’t worry about us when we were on his side, then we change teams and he starts to notice and tries to find a way to get us back on his side.  We will be attacked.  Things will get harder.  If we truly believe that the life with God is worthwhile then we need to put in the effort.  Don’t give up so easily.  Know that the payoff in the end is so much better than anything we’ve already had in your life.

God is worth it.  You are worth it.  Never give up on God as He’ll never give up on you.

The Cheap Seats

Lately I’ve spent a few nights watching some high school basketball. I really enjoy the game as it’s, at least to me, very pure at the HS level. The kids are taught to play the right way and they work together as a team. What I like about it best is you really get a good look from the stands at a team’s strengths and weaknesses, at least if you know what you are looking at.

That leads me to today’s point: Often a weakness can easily be seen from the cheap seats.

Let me explain. As I watch the game I often find players on a team that seem a tad weak at one kind of defense or another. What I really love is when the coach for one of the teams sees the same thing and starts to exploit that weakness. The coach will direct his/her team to do things that will take full advantage of that weakness. They’ll keep attacking it until the other team makes an adjustment. In fact, to me that is the true beauty of the game, the chess match the coaches play in trying to gain their team an advantage, causing a disadvantage to the other team.

I mention all of this because many of us have weaknesses that are continually being exploited in our Christian walk. The devil attacks us over and over again the same way, and we fail to make the adjustment. Then, when we finally do adjust, the devil looks for another weakness to exploit. This is part of the day-to-day battle that we must fight, continually adjusting our weaknesses in order to keep the devil out of our lives.

How is your ability at making adjustments? Do you allow a weakness to continually be attacked, or do you work to keep that from happening? Do you even know what your weaknesses are, or do you need someone else sitting in the cheap seats to help you see what you are missing? If you know the weaknesses and keep adjusting, good for you! If you need help seeing what is happening, then find a friend, prayer partner, spouse, and pray about it. Find the weaknesses and adjust. Your spiritual life will be stronger because of it.