I was working on a project last night that I've been attempting to complete for several months now; time after time I've tried to finish to no avail. Over the past several months, it seemed as if something would always go wrong and hinder my progress. Well, after numerous tries I began thinking, "Maybe I'm not on the right path. Maybe God is trying to tell me something." I had begun subconsciously assuming that the obstacles were indications of my need to possibly quit and take another course.
Well, after a frustrating night, I decided to call one of my sisters just to say, "Hey!" But the conversation turned out not to be so casual.
"How's the project going?" she asked me in an upbeat tone.
"Terrible," I said sounding defeated and dejected. "I'm thinking about quitting."
Why did I ever tell her that?!
She began giving my words back to me about perseverance, fortitude, and stick-to-it-iveness; she also let me know that, by quitting, I would be abandoning a ministry opportunity that could reach souls for the Kingdom. I tell you, by the time she was finished, I had a new resolve to move forward!
I also realized that the difficulty I was having had more to do with my mentality than it had to do with my reality. Has that ever been the case for you too?
Somewhere along the way, because I had run into so many setbacks, I internalized the belief that it wasn't meant to be. But I forgot what I always say, which is, "Delay does not mean denial." Just because something doesn't work out right away doesn't mean it never will. A lot of times, the level of opposition we're met with is more a symbol of God's approval than it is disapproval. After all, when the enemy sees that we're on the right path, he's gonna fight us tooth and nail to make sure we don't accomplish our goals.
The enemy knows that if you and I quit, we'll forfeit all the benefits that come from trusting God through the difficult times. If we quit, we'll lose out on the opportunity to impact others through the gift and anointing God has placed on our lives.
But we can't afford to give our adversary the victory. Rather, we've got to keep striving and pushing ahead. We have to remind ourselves that, God never promised that the road would always be easy. Our only assurance is that He'll never leave us walking alone.
The Lord will always stay right there by our side.
Today, remember to hold someone up in prayer. Give somebody a word of encouragement. You never know who's on the verge of quitting and the word you speak into them just might be the one that saves them from aborting their destiny. If you've been thinking about giving up, then this word was tailor-made for you.
Don't quit! You're right on the verge of your break-through.
On a personal note, I want to say thanks to my own sister who sowed into my spirit last evening. I so needed to hear that!
As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!
Dianna Hobbs
www.eewmagazine.com
