Remain Steadfast

Here we are in a day when so many people are quitting. It's sometimes difficult to look around and be encouraged as a believer because the order of the day for so many is to quit what they once held dear. Whether it be walking in purity, being faithful to the House of God, studying the Bible diligently, praying passionately or simply believing that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, the enemy has effectively caused many believers to drop their hands and give up the fight. The scary thing for many people is that they don't even know they've given up the fight, they just have a list of justifications as to why they stopped doing what was once so important. My simple encouragement for you this week is to never stop, never quit and to remain steadfast in the things that God has called you to do. Whether it's one of the things I listed earlier, or something more specific such as a ministry you know that He's called you to, don't quit. Father God has never quit anything and we are made in His image so let's be like our Daddy and stay the course in all we do. There will be days when it's not as exciting, it looks more fun to do something other than what you're destined to do, it's painful and difficult, or you simply don't want to. It's in those moments where I remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 15. He encouraged them about the victory over death that had been given to us as believers through the work of Jesus Christ, and then he went on to drop the Holy Ghost bomb on them in the final verse of the chapter:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Cor. 15:58 - NKJV)

What an incredibly summative statement on how we should walk out our lives in faith and purpose. Be immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord, being certain that YOUR labor is NOT in vain! We serve such an awesome Father and Creator that our response should be to emulate Him by being consistent, unwavering, unchanging and faithful to what He has called and enabled us to do.

I'll leave you with the words of my middle school track coach, James Calvin Moore, who was a faithful man of God who went on to Heaven a few years ago. One day at a practice when we were all tired and not in the mood to work out, he looked us all in the eye and said words that I will never forget: "If you only work hard on the days you feel good, you'll never make any progress." Those words have been with me throughout my life as a prophetic reminder to remain committed to the things that God sets before me to do. In light of that, I pass those words on to you today in the hopes that you too will lay hold of the grace of God to remain steadfast in Him.

Have a great, prosperous and blessed week in all you do!