Be Strong and Courageous. And, Don’t Give Up!

“If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small” Proverbs 24:10

This is one of my favorite Bible verses. It tells me that no matter what I am faces with, I must choose not to quit. I have quoted my father many times over the years saying, “no son of mine is going to quit, that is your job, get back to work!” He said this when I got up enough courage to tell him at 16 years old that I wanted to quit washing dishes, coming home at midnight soaking wet with cracked and bloody dishpan hands, and get a job bagging groceries.

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I could have quit in my heart and let it affect my work, but that thought never crossed my mind. I knew that if I continued to work there I had to get better, faster, and stronger. It was my “day” of adversity, I could choose to excel or I could loaf so I’d get fired. If I was going to stay, I knew I must be the catalyst for my own change, growth, and development.

I hated the dish room and wanted out of there. I wanted to move on. I wanted to go around my adversity instead of through it. I have never met a maturing Christian who God has taken around adversity. I have only discovered those He has taken through adversity.

Joshua must lead the Children of Israel to conquer the promised land, except it was filled with warriors, wall-cities, and rivers. All of these elements of adversity God led them through not around.

God tells Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (1:9)

Don’t quit. Strengthen that in your life that you have the capacity, ability, and proclivity to master, the rest fill up with faith and trust in the One who is with you.

Don’t go around, go through. Yes, it’s hard, but the hard way is sometimes the best and really only way through. A faith that is tested is a faith that can be trusted.

Question: Has there ever been a time when you were tempted to give up, but didn’t?  How did it end?

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Category: Leadership
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