“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:56-58
Quitting may ease the pain for a little while, but will burden you with regret for the rest of your life.
Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish composer-pianist, was once scheduled to perform at a great American concert hall for a high-society extravaganza. In the audience was a mother with her fidgety nine-year-old son. Weary of waiting, the boy slipped away from her side, strangely drawn to the Steinway on the stage. Without much notice from the audience, he sat down at the stool and began playing “chopsticks.” The roar of the crowd turned to shouts as hundreds yelled, “Get that boy away from there!” When Paderewski heard the uproar backstage, he grabbed his coat and rushed over behind the boy. Reaching around him from behind, the master began to improvise a countermelody to “chopsticks.” As the two of them played together, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy’s ear, “Keep going. Don’t quit, son…don’t stop…don’t stop.”
—— we all have times where we feel like giving in. Life becomes overwhelming, the devil’s attacks never cease, and we are weary from fighting so hard. So what do we do? Do we give into Satan’s temptations and quit fighting against him? God forbid!
Just as Paderewski stood over the young boy, encouraging him to go on, so God stands over us, encouraging us to keep going. The Lord is saying to us, “Don’t quit, my child. Don’t give in. It’s only for a little while longer. I’m coming soon.”
Also, when the boy was playing his version of chopsticks, he did not know the composer would be playing along soon. He just played with all his might. In much the same way, in the midst of our struggles or times of weariness, our song may not sound beautiful (we may not think our effort is making a difference). But Christ is working behind the scenes, perfecting our song.
You may not be able to see where God is or how He is working, but trust me, He is at work. If you are following His commands and walking with Him, you don’t have to question His sovereignty in your life.
What has you feeling overwhelmed today? Christian, do not give up. Do not believe the lie that once you quit, everything will be better. The devil always presents the other side as more relaxing, peaceful, and more enjoyable. But what he does not show you is the heartache and pain that comes when you stop living for the Lord.
Determine today that no matter what comes in your life, you will not quit. Do not let the devil trick you into thinking giving up is the answer. Trust that God is working in your life and that He will work all things out in the end.
Ask God today to help you be “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).–From Daily in the Word
