Our sole task is to find God’s hope amid the struggle, because if we have hope we have the fuel to propel faith.
God got you through that season where you nearly gave up all hope of being rescued. Indeed, there were times throughout that season where you did give up, but God didn’t, and kept urging you to get back in the saddle, to get back in the game, to keep going—and you did—each time.
You didn’t give up then, so don’t give up now.
You battled long and hard, probably for more than several months, and indeed, for most of you, it is the case that it has been several years and, in some cases, a decade or more. For those reading this who are amid the battle, don’t give up.
God’s got you.
God is with you and He will carry you all the way out of hell if only you remain as faithful as you can, so keep going, and don’t give up.
It cannot be stressed enough that you got through what you got through for such a time as this. You kept going through the mire and the mud, you knew it was all hard slog, but you could not give up, and now you’ve been delivered to this. The best really is yet to come.
What your “this” is, is particularly special. Don’t undermine it. Don’t fail to see the goodness and grace that has been bestowed into your context. Don’t miss it. Search now, in the peace of the moment, knowing you’ve gotten through the hardest of times. And you’ve got the resilience and the resources to get through the hard times to come. This is no cliché.
Don’t lose sight of your precious context, that God cares, and He will bring you through if you do not give up, even as you may now feel more alone than ever.
“Do not grow weary, despondent, or lose all hope, in your doing good deeds and relating well, because you WILL reap a harvest of blessing at the proper time—at God’s appointed time— if you do not give up completely, and ultimately keep getting up and keep going.” —GALATIANS 6:9
These words of the apostle Paul urge us on amid a despairing battle.
Our sole task is to find God’s hope amid the struggle because if we have hope, we have the fuel to propel faith. Sometimes the faintest hopes are the most powerful. Don’t give up. Even if everything around you, and in you, says, “It’s no use,” don’t give up. The wisdom goes counter to reason.
To get through hell, we must keep going.
It’s okay to take a rest along the way, just don’t give up.
There will come a time when you will look back and say, “I don’t know how I can say this, but it was all worth it,” but that can only be said when you’re out the other side; out of the hell you’ve been in or are in.
When we hold to this kind of hope—that everything can be reconciled in the light of Christ—we can get through anything.
Hold onto your hope; don’t give up.
Steve Wickham holds several roles, including husband, father, conflict coach and mediator, church pastor, counselor,, chaplain, mentor, and Board Secretary. He holds degrees in Science, Divinity (2), and Counselling.
