Discouraged Christians – keep going!

Let us not become weary in doing good, for in proper time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

 

 

 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. Galatians 6:9  (MSG)

……

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. Galatians 6:9 (AMP)

 

 

I had to share that scripture in several translations because I think we all have different words that we personally need to hear in relation to our personal discouragements.

Tired of doing good, wanting to give up, feeling the harvest will never be reaped, feeling fatigued, wanting to quit,  losing heart, growing weary, feeling faint, loosening our grip and relaxing our courage. Do any of these describe you today? It’s called discouragement.

Now that you have assessed your discouragement, it’s my confession time. This past week I sat down to write again, and I was overcome with discouragement. I was looking through old posts on my blog to find the ones I was most nervous to post (Link here). I looked as far back as I could and I realized I had started blogging almost 4 years ago, to the month.  I should have been like, ‘Hey, way to go Sarah, that’s dedication, you’ve been writing faithfully every week, sometimes several times a week for 4 years, now that’s dedication!” – But hahahaha, that’s not how the flesh works, instead I was like, “wow, 4 years, and you’re not a bloggy sensation yet?!, maybe it’s time to be realistic, maybe its time to quit.”

Satan is a sneaky bugger, I wasn’t even depressed about it, or feeling sorry for myself, I just had this thought, “hmmm,maybe this isn’t for me, maybe I should quit” – So I prayed, God, maybe your promise over me to use writing as a ministry to help people  just isn’t the word of the day anymore, maybe I missed it, maybe I need to surrender it to you and move on. I want to be obedient, I want to be in your will, but I’m getting nowhere fast and I’m done.”  So I surrendered in my head, looking for confirmation to quit. 

Then up popped a message on Facebook from my writing friend and super blogger Sheila Wray Gregiore, her blog here   – “I don’t know if it’s because you’re Canadian, too, or what, but I just think your blog is awesome!” She wrote..  Thanks Sheila! 

That was more than just an ego boost for this blue blogger it was confirmation from God.. “keep going, don’t quit, keep doing what you’re doing.”  

This discouragement is not new to me. After all it’s been 4 years, remember?!  –  I have felt like I was blogging my heart out through seasons of  no fruit (that I saw) no feedback, no encouragement and then I resolve in my heart this isn’t for me and then I receive an email, or a comment about how much my words have impacted that person’s life, and I know it’s the Holy Spirit telling me “keep going don’t quit, keep doing what you’re doing.”

Infact, this am I woke up to a message from a dear friend in essence saying “keep going, don’t quit, keep doing what you are doing!”

God is all around me, cheering me to keep going, even when everything else tells me to quit, and He’s around you too.

When you have a call, a defined purpose and a mission from God, we see very dimly the goal we are trying to achieve, but young and excited we go after it, even if we are half blind to the path ahead. We have our eyes set on the prize and nothing will stop us! Then we fall in a pit like Joseph did,  walk miles all alone like Elijah did, get swallowed up like Jonah did, feed off mana and scraps like the Israelites did, we walk in downpours and desert lands like Moses did, we fight endless battles like David did; and by the time we are a quarter way there we look behind and have a low blood sugar moment

 

“God! HEY GOD!!!! YOOOOO HOOOOO, What are you doing?! Remember me?! Heeelllooooooo – Have you brought me out here to DIE!?!?!?!?!?!”

 

 

We sit on the side of the path laid out for us, we pout, fold our arms, and  maybe even stick out our thumb looking for a hitch home. Then God comes in, with a word, with a fresh vision and with encouragement. (or sometimes a kick in the pants!)

God is always faithful to brush us off, and say “keep going, don’t quit, keep doing what you’re doing!”, because he desires our call to be fulfilled even more than we do. He is on our side.

 Whether you’re in ministry,  or a mother, or you’re called to be a teacher, or just a really great encourager, you have an assignment from God, and all assignments have challenges because we have an enemy who is weakened a little more every time we succeed and we have a flesh that desires warm mugs of comfort over suffering cups.

Wanting to quit and question everything is part of the journey, ask Jesus…

 

And He (Jesus) withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.… Luke 22:42 (NIV)

 

Or ask Moses

 

 Moses said to God, “Why are you treating me this way? What did I ever do to you to deserve this? Did I conceive them? Was I their mother? So why dump the responsibility of this people on me? Why tell me to carry them around like a nursing mother, carry them all the way to the land you promised to their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people who are whining to me, ‘Give us meat; we want meat.’ I can’t do this by myself—it’s too much, all these people. If this is how you intend to treat me, do me a favor and kill me. I’ve seen enough; I’ve had enough. Let me out of here.” Numbers 11:11-15The Message (MSG)

 

The two men, we thought would never feel discouraged, pretty much begged God to take it all away. Moses had a burning bush experience and a clear call “let my people GOOOOOOO” (that’s my blogging God voice) and Moses, after a brief self esteem talk, was like “Yeah God, I got this!”

Then he went in, kicked Pharaoh’s behind, rescued the Israelites, and crossed the Red Sea, saw God’s power and provision and then turned around to enjoy the fruit of his labour, only to see the Israelites worshipping Idols and being really stupid,  and it was too late to turn back.  Moses was so discouraged he yelled at God, like my kids yell at me when I tell them to do chores. “What did I do to deserve this?!” Moses had lost sight of the Promise Land and his call, to the point that he thought he was being punished and begged God to let him die. I am only laughing because I have had that tantrum before God, especially parenting 5 children (including 2 teens) “God why did you give me so many children, to punish me?!” Oh how foolish we can be when we are so discouraged. 

 Jesus after sharing His heart with His Father, essentially begged God to let him quit, and Jesus knew his call from a young age.  Yet he prayed in the same breathe “your will, not mine”. He could not have prayed that prayer in his weakened flesh, he could not have given God his will,  without the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to keep us going in God’s will or our flesh will win and we will give up.  As Jesus surrendered his will to His father,  God was faithful and sent an angel to strengthen him.

God cares about our discouragement and wants us to come to him with it. Like His son did.  

When we feel like quitting don’t feel ashamed, or not strong enough, even Jesus wasn’t strong enough to continue, He needed a touch from Heaven, and he did it, he finished the call! 

So though today’s devotional is not a super in depth bible study, I just felt the God wanted to encourage us all today, to keep going, don’t quit, keep doing what you’re doing!” God will be faithful! 

For more encouragement and devotionals go to the link here that will take you to my devotional page. 

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3 thoughts on “Discouraged Christians – keep going!”

  1. Faith says:

    This is awesome, Sarah!! Thanks!!

  2. The Baby Mama says:

    Please don’t give up writing. Your writing has really spoken to me and given me the encouragement to face all my anxieties head on. I still get scared, but knowing what you went through and how God has pulled you through is a huge encouragement to me. And I wouldn’t have that encouragement if you didn’t write.

    Remember the boy and the starfish?

    1. virtuouswomanx says:

      Thanks for being a faithful reader Baby Mama!

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