When You Want to Give Up: 3 Ways to Persevere
Perseverance is a much-needed virtue in so many different areas of life. However, as crucial as this virtue is in our Christian walk, it’s the first many give up or fail to practice when a situation becomes too challenging or unmanageable. Are you one to throw in the towel when life gets tough, or do you push onward to the finish line? As women of faith, the Bible urges us to trust God wholeheartedly as we stay the course set before us, grow in godly character, and finish our race strong, but the question inevitably arises, how? How do I keep going when it seems futile?
Simple answer: Perseverance.
Detailed answer: By leaning into your faith and having confidence in your identity in Christ, by leaning into the path God has already laid out for you, and by continually returning to the word for reassurance and guidance…you can and will be able to finish strong.
The Bible has several examples of those who persevered: Jesus is the ultimate example of perseverance as he remained obedient to his Father until his last breath on the cross. Another example is the apostle Paul, who went from persecuting Christians to becoming persecuted himself because the fire (passion) in his belly for the Lord made it impossible not to preach and spread the good news of Jesus Christ. However, one example, Jeremiah, continues to captivate me because as I grow in this ministry, I realize that God is using his testimony to guide me and help me grow in my voice.
Jeremiah, or “the weeping prophet” as many know him, had an arduous task ahead of him. God told him to go and pronounce his message of judgment to the rebellious people of Judah. Not a simple task by any means, but God reassured him that he would be protected, given the words to speak, and that though he would experience persecution, he would be delivered.
Let me set the scene here for you: Jeremiah lived during a time when national upheaval and social discord were at their height. There was war, idol worship, political unrest, and much more. However, Jeremiah had important instructions from God. As God’s prophet, his charge was to expose the nation's idolatry and injustice. Specifically, his message entailed a summons for the people of Judah to turn away from sin and seek a relationship with God based not upon mindless rituals or methodology but on righteous character and heartfelt devotion. Jeremiah’s situation became so severe that at one point in his ministry, his own family plotted to kill him. Can you even imagine? Here is a man of the Lord, a God-fearing man trying to save as many souls as possible in a corrupt and misled nation, and he had to worry about his own family causing him harm.
Does any of this sound familiar to you right now? Corruption. Political unrest. Distorted views on life, Idol worship.
Okay, how can Jeremiah’s example of perseverance during a time of chaos and mayhem help us today? Here are three lessons we can take from his life to guide us in our Christian walk and that have been a comfort to me when I feel lost:
Knowing Who We Are in Christ
Yes, you need to grasp your identity in Christ firmly. You can’t just say you are a daughter of the King, but you have to believe it to your core. You must understand that Jesus purchased your life with His own because He loves you that much! Your life is not a failure or filled with shame because Jesus took that all away on the cross. He knows every mistake you have made and every misstep you will take, yet He loves you unconditionally. You are God’s beloved daughter and must start believing that truth. Remind yourself of it every day!
1 Corinthians 8:3 “But whoever loves God is known by God.”
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
When Jeremiah was young, God called him to speak a message of repentance to the people of Judah. But this calling would require steadfast faith and a new understanding of himself. He had to know who he was as God’s beloved servant and where his identity ultimately lay. Only then could he communicate firmly to Judah, who had forgotten who and what God is, and challenge their falsely based security, manipulative ways, and god-substitutes. Did he stumble over his words at times? I’m sure he did. Did he get nervous? You betcha! Did he give up? No. He persevered and went before the Lord even when situations and circumstances seemed overwhelming and out of control.
Trusting When We Cannot See the Outcome
Jeremiah faced heinous accusations, threats, ridicule, and physical abuse by his own people. However, instead of giving up, he leaned in and trusted God. He could have easily given up…I mean, who wouldn’t? He preached for 40-plus years a doom and gloom message hoping to spur the people's hearts to repentance but instead experienced only persecution. What is so inspiring is that no matter how many times Jeremiah had the opportunity to walk away or flee, he didn’t because he was devoted to finishing the task God had called him to fulfill. He trusted God wholeheartedly, remained steadfast in his convictions, and would not let the environment around him break him.
Jeremiah felt deeply that the ultimate reward would be to convert the hearts of the wicked at all costs. Unfortunately, his efforts to turn the people back to God were of no avail. His only reward was to be branded a traitor and imprisoned. However, despite all this, he showed true faith by believing in an outcome that seemed impossible to many.
Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
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Returning to the Word for Reassurance
During doubt and times of frustration, Jeremiah could declare God’s faithfulness. Lamentations 3:24-25 says, “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Jeremiah continually went back to the Lord for comfort and direction. What a testament to his faith and how much he relied on the Lord for his peace of mind and heart. Was it easy? No, most likely not, because he was up against a corrupt nation with evil people constantly pelting him and threatening harm. Jeremiah stayed the course through faith and continued to preach about the nation's destruction if they did not turn from their sinful ways. He was faithful until the end, and you can be too.
Conclusion
Let us use Jeremiah’s example of perseverance in our everyday lives. Let’s use his tenacity, heart of faith, and willingness to do what God commanded to be a testimony to those around him. We may not face trials of desperation, death, and doom, but we may face hardships, hurt, and our own personal hell in our lives. In those seasons, we should remember and take to heart these three ways Jeremiah used to persevere when he wanted to give up.