By Minister Terry Melancon
As a sports fan, you can get caught up with all the hype that surrounds it. I’ve been intrigued by the will and tenacity of athletics. They go all out to accomplish their goals. So many have been seriously injured or hurt while competing. Some require surgery or lengthy rehabilitation. Eventually, you look up, and they are back competing once again.
The mindset of most athletes is “I must get it accomplished at all costs.” They are willing to forsake everything in their pursuit to accomplish the end goal. During the recent Summer Olympics, I watched the track and field events. One individual had fallen and was injured in the 1500-meter race. At the end of the race, one competitor finished and came back to help the fallen one to complete the race.
Don’t Give Up: We run this race called life, and in it there’s pitfalls and danger, trials, tribulations, and hardships. Each day we are presented with different circumstances that challenge us. With these challenges, you can either press through or quit. Each of us is uniquely made by God, and though our circumstances don’t seem fair, within us is the ability to overcome.
God has placed within us everything we need to be victorious. “According as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue”. (2 peter 1:3)
In Genesis 37, a young man named Joseph was 17 when he had a dream that one day he would rule over his brothers and parents. This dream could have costed him his life for telling it. His brothers despised him for the idea that he would rule over them. They sold him as a slave and for many years Joseph endured many hardships including false accusations of rape.
At 30, Joseph is promoted and then became Governor of Egypt. As Governor, he was now in position to rule over his brothers and save them from starvation. Joseph told his brothers “what you meant for evil God meant for good.”
It is said that “winners never quit, and quitters never win”. The willingness not to quit and the grace of God is what gives a person the ability to be victorious in life. “Many are the afflictions of the righteousness. But the Lord delivers him out of them all”. (Psalm 34:19)
Don’t Give in: These are trying times, so don’t fool yourself into thinking that things will get better. This statement has been made by many, which is debatable, “I’ll be glad when things get back to normal” some have said. Things will never get back to normal. What we considered as normal has changed and there is no longer a normal for many of us.
We can’t afford give in to the pressures of life no matter how bad things may seem right now. Murder is occurring everywhere and senseless gun violence, road rage, wars over oil, and selfish greed. Robbing, stealing from those who have very little for themselves. Severe weather changes, tornadoes in unusual places, Covid and omicron, now a new strand of virus. It’s enough to make one want throw up their hands to give in.
As believers, giving in is not an option when we place our trust in an Almighty God who cannot fail. Fear, worry, stress and anxiety are the weapons the devil uses to get us to step out of faith and stumble and even fall. When that happens, it’s very easy to quit, throw in the towel and give in, but scripture says: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9)
We must persevere no matter how great the odds are. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Don’t Quit: A man named Nehemiah was called by God to rebuild the city wall to protect Jerusalem. In his obedience to what God called him to do, there were many challenges. While attempting to rebuild the wall, he faced insults, was ridiculed, and even lied on. But the one thing that Nehemiah didn’t do was quit under the pressure but instead pressed on in faith.
We must run this race without fear or trepidation about the outcomes of today or tomorrow. Faith in God is the foundational key that will help us to overcome any fears that we may face. Our trust in the promises of God, especially at a time like this, will see us through. We can’t be swayed by people who don’t believe as we do and say that there is no God. Scriptures assures that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth. And that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11)
Today’s society doesn’t want to hear you talk about God, Jesus, or anything that deals with a belief in a higher power greater than man. Man’s intellect has ruled God out and is not willing to acknowledge Him in any way until they are in a crisis.
The Fool has said in his heart, “There is no God”, They are corrupt, and have done abominable works, there is none who does good”. (Psalm 14:1)
No matter how bad things may look, we can’t give up, give in, nor quit; we must keep looking up to the one who fashioned us in our mother’s womb. The one who is still on the throne, the creator of the heavens and the earth, of all that seen and unseen, “God Almighty” who is our hope.
Let us continue to look up, fixing our eyes on the one True and living God. Remember God won’t fail us for He is faithful, trustworthy, ever true to His word and we can always depend upon Him. So, do not turn to the right or to the left, nor be swayed by the influence of culture. There’s nothing new it’s all foolishness in the eyes of God.
