Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day on this Friday afternoon.
Before diving into this short message I want to respectfully ask for your prayers for the Texas Gulf Coast. As I am sure you are well aware, we are squarely in the cross-hairs of Hurricane Harvey. As I type this Happy Friday, the winds and rain are picking up significantly, we are under tornado warning and we are well over 150 miles of where Harvey will make landfall. It's gonna be an exciting next few days and your prayers are greatly needed and appreciated.
Fearing I might lose power at any time, I am going to be extremely succinct.
You & I were created to be thermostats, not thermometers. A thermostat sets the temperature in the room while a thermometer simply measure what the temperature currently is in the room. Bringing it down to a very clear, practical level; a fierce storm of catastrophic proportions is bearing down on the area where we live. I can report the conditions that exist outside, be a thermometer, or I can allow the peaceful spirit of the God that I know lives inside of me to shine, be a thermometer. Whichever I choose will influence all of those people I am privileged to have in my life - my precious family, my co-workers, our neighbors, our friends, etc. I choose to be a thermometer, for this storm as well as the storms of life, and I pray you will do the same. No matter what you & I choose, the storms are going to come. What Will Your Influence Be...?
I also want to encourage you to go watch a video. If you will Google "Rosie King: How autism freed me to by myself," you will find it. You & I were made on purpose for a purpose! God does not make mistakes. Please be the beautiful you that you were created to be and please, allow & encourage others to be the best version of who they were created to be.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious families and thank you so much for your thoughts & prayers! :)
Kev
Friday, August 25, 2017
Friday, August 18, 2017
Easy To Understand, Hard To Live
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as this glorious new day begins to dawn!
This morning I want to share a few things that came at me over the past week. They are easy to understand - for the most part! :) - however they are hard to live on a consistent basis.
The first thing I want to share is the scripture from last Sunday's sermon at our church, the notes I took and few editorial comments.
The Scripture
Romans 12New International Version (NIV)
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The Notes
I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as this glorious new day begins to dawn!
This morning I want to share a few things that came at me over the past week. They are easy to understand - for the most part! :) - however they are hard to live on a consistent basis.
The first thing I want to share is the scripture from last Sunday's sermon at our church, the notes I took and few editorial comments.
The Scripture
Romans 12New International Version (NIV)
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The Notes
- Romans Chapter 12 is all about living a life under new management.
- Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice = your body and how you live should be a dedication to God.
- It will take all of our lives to give all of our lives to Jesus.
- The way to renew the mind is to read the Bible.
Comments
- Our lives are under management from someone or something...who is it? It is not just in the words we speak, the "Sunday School Answers", but rather in the lives we actually live. I am reminded of the lyric, "Let them see You/In me
- Our bodies and our lives are given to us to perform the works that God has for us, that He planned for us when He created us. Two more quotes come to mind here; "You were given this life to live because you are strong enough to live it" and "Preach a sermon at all times. Use words when necessary."
- It is a process. As much as you & I would like to be perfect TODAY, the reality is it will take the rest of our lives to grow into the fullness of all that God created us to be. Let us enjoy the journey as we constantly learn & grow...and a heavy dose of love, mercy & grace is essential as well! :)
- Now, if you are privileged to have teens or twenty-somethings in your home you know that you have to be part philosopher, part lawyer, part politician, part moderator and it is go time, all the time! :) So when my Beautiful Bride and I talked with our Tender Warriors about this scripture and the sermon notes last Sunday we got to the part about "the way to renew your mind is to read the Bible." We then talked about the things that we pour into ourselves, the music we listen to, etc. One of the young philosophers/lawyers/politicians/moderators offered that they didn't think that listening to certain types of music was that big of a deal, it is just music. Ah, he is his Daddy's son! I remember saying the exact same thing when I was his age! I told him I agreed, music is just music and no, I don't think you have to just listen to Christian music...give me some Cole Swindell! :) I did tell him however that while the type of music doesn't necessarily matter, the only way the renewing of the mind will happen is to read scripture, to let it speak to our Spirit. I asked him if was wrong? With a dumbfounded look on his face he said no! Chalk one up for Dads! Thank you Jesus! :)
I also want to share three other quotes/thoughts I came across this week, offer 'em up to you and let you - and your spirit - decide what to do with them.
This first one came in a tweet from Jon Gordon earlier this week. It said:
"A simple, powerful way to live:
1. Give your all.
2. Trust in God.
3. Love people."
The second one came in an email I received yesterday. I am sorry, I don't know who actually said this:
"You want to change the world...you respect, love, hold on to hope and give others hope."
And the third one was from a tweet by Germany Kent yesterday. It said:
"The world does not need to hear another sermon nearly as much as it needs to see one."
So Friends, I will end with this, What Will Your Influence Be...? Today you & I will influence the lives of every person we cross paths with...for good or bad. The choice and the ramifications of those choices are entirely up to each one of us individually. I pray we all choose life, encouraging, empowering, positive but regardless, you & I will choose.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
Friday, August 11, 2017
Commitment
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as new hope, opportunity & promise begin to dawn with what is sure to be a beautiful day! I also sincerely hope you have had a great week.
This week I want to talk about commitment. Last Sunday I watched Joel Osteen's sermon on TV which he titled "Stay Committed." You can Google "Joel Osteen Sermon on Commitment" and you can watch it on YouTube. It is 27 minutes and 29 seconds long...I think you will find it worth your time! Since last Sunday I have thought a lot about the things he said, I have searched scripture, I have sought out quotes on commitment and I have striven to learn more about commitment. At this point I am reminded, and must share, the thought, "we find what we are looking for"...in life, in people and yes, in meanings.
To quickly sum up Joel's point, if we will stay committed, the blessings will come. Sadly, most of us will quit long before we get to the point of blessing. We are "committed" so long as it is easy, doesn't require any sacrifice, etc. That is not commitment, that is convenience! Life is hard. Relationships are hard. Pursuing our God-ordained purposes is hard. Tests of our will & determination are often misidentified as stop signs. I hope & pray that we, Friends, will determine to live committed lives, truly committed, to our spouses, our friends and our purposes.
I want to briefly talk about those 3 things - spouses/partners, friends & purposes.
I remember the day I really, truly committed to my Beautiful Bride. I was driving down a lonely stretch of highway in Arizona and at that moment our marriage felt as barren as the desert passing by outside my car window. Not much was going right. We were not on the same page. We were having an extremely difficult time communicating. As I was talking to God and praying something clicked in my heart, mind & spirit - I will not quit on this marriage! I don't care if she loves me or even likes me, I will not stop fighting for her, for us until the day I breathe my final breath.
I think I may have shared these two examples/stories in the past however I want to share them again because they have served as such powerful reminders to me of what I believe I am called to as a husband & Dad. I once heard the late Bill Stewart, a college football coach, talk about Dog Soldiers. According to Coach Stewart, Dog Soldiers were Native American Warriors who, when beginning a battle would tie a rope to their ankle and on the other end was a stake. Before the battle began they would drive the stake into the ground. Having done this, they could not run from the fight...they would either fight or die. That day, driving down the road, I drove a stake in the ground, I became a Dog Soldier for my marriage. I will not run! I will fight for my marriage!
The second was equally powerful to me. We, as humans, are really good at rights, what I deserve, how I should be treated, etc. We are "committed" (wink, wink...we are not really talking about a true commitment here) so long as I am treated great, the love is reciprocated, it is easy, it feels good, etc. Well, I once read a great analogy of the calling of the husband & Dad. The writer - sorry, I don't remember what book I read it in let alone the author! - equated the relationship between the husband/Dad to the wife & children to that of the sun to earth. The sun provides everything for the earth, all for the earth's benefit, while receiving nothing in return. While many are quick to quote, and misrepresent, scripture that reads, "wives submit to your husbands" (Ephesians 5:22), it is a small group that is willing to live out Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Did you catch that part? "Willing to give yourself up for her." That my Friends is a call to commitment!
The second commitment I want to briefly talk about is to Friends! Joel shared an excellent example during his sermon. He shared how after Jim Baker was released from prison Franklin Graham reached out to him and invited him to go to church with their family. Jim objected stating it would embarrass the Graham family, it would cause controversy, to be seen with him. Franklin explained that they are friends and the Graham family was not concerned about what others said, thought or did...they were only concerned about loving their friend. When Jim did go to church with them, he was also joined by Billy & Ruth Graham.
You see, we all have failing moments! Every! Single! One! Of! Us! While some are more noticed because of the stature or notoriety of the person who failed, the reality is we have all done things that we wouldn't want seen on TV or read on the newspaper. Joel pointed out in his sermon that if there was no failure there would be no need for mercy. Think about that for a moment...
So how are we doing in our commitment to our friends? Are we really committed to them, to our relationship with them? Do we love them enough to love them when they are unlovable? Do we love them enough to tell them the truth? Are we committed to them enough to walk through the trials & tribulations of life with them? Are we committed to our friendships or are we simply looking for convenience? The depth and level of commitment to these friendships will determine the quality, the blessings if you will, that these relationships bring.
Finally, I want to talk about our level of commitment to our hopes, goals & dreams...those God-given purposes that reside deep within our souls. Are we committed to pursuing them or are we interested in only doing so as long as it is easy, convenient & things are going well? If that is the case, you & I will fail to ever achieve them. Speaking death? No, keeping it real. You see, the pursuit of any goal or dream will not be easy, convenient and things will not always go well. In fact, when it gets hard, gets inconvenient and things aren't going well we get to take the test of commitment - to find out if we are really committed to it or not.
This morning I read a statistic in a Jon Gordon book. It stated that British researchers studied 500 people who were defined as successful - happy, doing the things they want to do, have enough money, etc. Researchers were surprised to find that every single one of them had overcome some adversity or hardship. Every! Single! One!
Roadblocks, hurdles, pebbles in your shoes and the like are not stop signs. They are things in our path to makes us stronger, make us wiser as we make the climb to fulfill our destiny. It is a path however that can only be climbed by the committed.
Y'all know I love quotes so I am going to wrap this up with two quick quotes.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as new hope, opportunity & promise begin to dawn with what is sure to be a beautiful day! I also sincerely hope you have had a great week.
This week I want to talk about commitment. Last Sunday I watched Joel Osteen's sermon on TV which he titled "Stay Committed." You can Google "Joel Osteen Sermon on Commitment" and you can watch it on YouTube. It is 27 minutes and 29 seconds long...I think you will find it worth your time! Since last Sunday I have thought a lot about the things he said, I have searched scripture, I have sought out quotes on commitment and I have striven to learn more about commitment. At this point I am reminded, and must share, the thought, "we find what we are looking for"...in life, in people and yes, in meanings.
To quickly sum up Joel's point, if we will stay committed, the blessings will come. Sadly, most of us will quit long before we get to the point of blessing. We are "committed" so long as it is easy, doesn't require any sacrifice, etc. That is not commitment, that is convenience! Life is hard. Relationships are hard. Pursuing our God-ordained purposes is hard. Tests of our will & determination are often misidentified as stop signs. I hope & pray that we, Friends, will determine to live committed lives, truly committed, to our spouses, our friends and our purposes.
I want to briefly talk about those 3 things - spouses/partners, friends & purposes.
I remember the day I really, truly committed to my Beautiful Bride. I was driving down a lonely stretch of highway in Arizona and at that moment our marriage felt as barren as the desert passing by outside my car window. Not much was going right. We were not on the same page. We were having an extremely difficult time communicating. As I was talking to God and praying something clicked in my heart, mind & spirit - I will not quit on this marriage! I don't care if she loves me or even likes me, I will not stop fighting for her, for us until the day I breathe my final breath.
I think I may have shared these two examples/stories in the past however I want to share them again because they have served as such powerful reminders to me of what I believe I am called to as a husband & Dad. I once heard the late Bill Stewart, a college football coach, talk about Dog Soldiers. According to Coach Stewart, Dog Soldiers were Native American Warriors who, when beginning a battle would tie a rope to their ankle and on the other end was a stake. Before the battle began they would drive the stake into the ground. Having done this, they could not run from the fight...they would either fight or die. That day, driving down the road, I drove a stake in the ground, I became a Dog Soldier for my marriage. I will not run! I will fight for my marriage!
The second was equally powerful to me. We, as humans, are really good at rights, what I deserve, how I should be treated, etc. We are "committed" (wink, wink...we are not really talking about a true commitment here) so long as I am treated great, the love is reciprocated, it is easy, it feels good, etc. Well, I once read a great analogy of the calling of the husband & Dad. The writer - sorry, I don't remember what book I read it in let alone the author! - equated the relationship between the husband/Dad to the wife & children to that of the sun to earth. The sun provides everything for the earth, all for the earth's benefit, while receiving nothing in return. While many are quick to quote, and misrepresent, scripture that reads, "wives submit to your husbands" (Ephesians 5:22), it is a small group that is willing to live out Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Did you catch that part? "Willing to give yourself up for her." That my Friends is a call to commitment!
The second commitment I want to briefly talk about is to Friends! Joel shared an excellent example during his sermon. He shared how after Jim Baker was released from prison Franklin Graham reached out to him and invited him to go to church with their family. Jim objected stating it would embarrass the Graham family, it would cause controversy, to be seen with him. Franklin explained that they are friends and the Graham family was not concerned about what others said, thought or did...they were only concerned about loving their friend. When Jim did go to church with them, he was also joined by Billy & Ruth Graham.
You see, we all have failing moments! Every! Single! One! Of! Us! While some are more noticed because of the stature or notoriety of the person who failed, the reality is we have all done things that we wouldn't want seen on TV or read on the newspaper. Joel pointed out in his sermon that if there was no failure there would be no need for mercy. Think about that for a moment...
So how are we doing in our commitment to our friends? Are we really committed to them, to our relationship with them? Do we love them enough to love them when they are unlovable? Do we love them enough to tell them the truth? Are we committed to them enough to walk through the trials & tribulations of life with them? Are we committed to our friendships or are we simply looking for convenience? The depth and level of commitment to these friendships will determine the quality, the blessings if you will, that these relationships bring.
Finally, I want to talk about our level of commitment to our hopes, goals & dreams...those God-given purposes that reside deep within our souls. Are we committed to pursuing them or are we interested in only doing so as long as it is easy, convenient & things are going well? If that is the case, you & I will fail to ever achieve them. Speaking death? No, keeping it real. You see, the pursuit of any goal or dream will not be easy, convenient and things will not always go well. In fact, when it gets hard, gets inconvenient and things aren't going well we get to take the test of commitment - to find out if we are really committed to it or not.
This morning I read a statistic in a Jon Gordon book. It stated that British researchers studied 500 people who were defined as successful - happy, doing the things they want to do, have enough money, etc. Researchers were surprised to find that every single one of them had overcome some adversity or hardship. Every! Single! One!
Roadblocks, hurdles, pebbles in your shoes and the like are not stop signs. They are things in our path to makes us stronger, make us wiser as we make the climb to fulfill our destiny. It is a path however that can only be climbed by the committed.
Y'all know I love quotes so I am going to wrap this up with two quick quotes.
"The core of the Warriors Soul - A belief strong enough both to live for and die for."
- Stu Weber
"Success is rare, not because talent is uncommon, but because commitment is..."
- Mandy Bos
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
Friday, August 4, 2017
Don't Quit
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day begins to dawn!
Some Happy Friday's I share stories of my family, some I try to give you different tools to empower you to become all that you were created to become and sometimes I just come alongside you and encourage you on your life journey...that is the focus of this Happy Friday, encouragement. Please, grab a cup of coffee and lets sit & visit for a minute.
How are things going? Are your hopes, goals & dreams coming true? Are you pursuing the greatness that IS within you? Every day? Are you tired? Physically? Of banging your head against the wall trying to solve a problem/launch a company/striving to save your marriage? Whoever you are Friend and wherever you are on this life journey, please, don't quit.
A quick note of clarity before we continue on; I am not talking about remaining in unhealthy or unsafe situations. If a situation is unhealthy or unsafe for you mentally, physically or spiritually please consider doing whatever you must do to create a healthy & safe situation. Don't quit on you if you are in an unhealthy or unsafe situation. At the same time, please don't try to justify quitting by painting your situation as unhealthy or unsafe if in fact, the road is simply bumpier than you want it to be.
Did you know Friend that you are not alone in having struggles, challenges, obstacles, etc.? I think one of the things that happens to us when we face an adversity is we start the self-talk of "I'm a failure", "I will never get out of this situation", etc. The fact is Friend, you are 100% normal. An article from the Huffpost titled "16 Wildly Successful People Who Overcame Huge Obstacles To Get There" printed on November 8, 2016 offers these examples:
I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day begins to dawn!
Some Happy Friday's I share stories of my family, some I try to give you different tools to empower you to become all that you were created to become and sometimes I just come alongside you and encourage you on your life journey...that is the focus of this Happy Friday, encouragement. Please, grab a cup of coffee and lets sit & visit for a minute.
How are things going? Are your hopes, goals & dreams coming true? Are you pursuing the greatness that IS within you? Every day? Are you tired? Physically? Of banging your head against the wall trying to solve a problem/launch a company/striving to save your marriage? Whoever you are Friend and wherever you are on this life journey, please, don't quit.
A quick note of clarity before we continue on; I am not talking about remaining in unhealthy or unsafe situations. If a situation is unhealthy or unsafe for you mentally, physically or spiritually please consider doing whatever you must do to create a healthy & safe situation. Don't quit on you if you are in an unhealthy or unsafe situation. At the same time, please don't try to justify quitting by painting your situation as unhealthy or unsafe if in fact, the road is simply bumpier than you want it to be.
Did you know Friend that you are not alone in having struggles, challenges, obstacles, etc.? I think one of the things that happens to us when we face an adversity is we start the self-talk of "I'm a failure", "I will never get out of this situation", etc. The fact is Friend, you are 100% normal. An article from the Huffpost titled "16 Wildly Successful People Who Overcame Huge Obstacles To Get There" printed on November 8, 2016 offers these examples:
- Bill Gates' first business failed.
- Albert Einstein didn't speak until he was four years old.
- Jim Carrey used to be homeless.
- Benjamin Franklin dropped out of school at age ten.
- Stephen King's first novel was rejected 30 times.
- Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before creating the lightbulb.
- Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime.
And I have seen many other lists, with other famous people, who have overcome failures. Heck, I twice was told my contract would not be renewed as a Head Football Coach because my teams were not winning games fast enough...so I found other ways to love & serve people, to encourage, empower & equip them to become the best they are capable of becoming. A couple of summers ago my Tender Warriors & I were going through a box at my Mom's house and we found one of my report cards from when I was in elementary school. My teacher had written on it, "Kevin will never be able to read well"...today I am a passionate reader and, as I type this Happy Friday, I am sitting in my home office surrounded by no less than 200 leadership books that I have read from cover to cover, some multiple times. No Friend, you are not alone. In fact, you are just like the rest of us...sorry! :)
One of the very first quotes I ever remember reading was in the weight room at my high school. It was, and is, profound to me. I don't really know why it hit me however I have been drawn back to it time and time again throughout my life. Here it is:
Don't Quit
"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out,
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far:
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit." ~ Edgar A. Guest
And the Bible has plenty to say as well about not giving up...
"But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."
- 2 Chronicles 15: 7
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am you God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41: 10
"'For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29: 11
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6: 9
"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." - Joshua 1: 9
"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'" - Mark 10: 27
Two things seem really clear to me; if the Bible talks so much about not giving up and not getting discouraged then 1) challenges, struggles, setbacks, etc. are sure to come and 2) God will be with us and the key is to trust in Him and to never quit. Please catch the chief strategy of Satan in these scriptures as well - fear & discouragement. When we face challenges & setbacks we become fearful & discouraged. The negative self-talk comes. These things Sweet Friends are not from God. Let us recognize them for what they are, dismiss them and then valiantly run the race that God has marked out for us.
All week long I have been sharing quotes & thoughts on Twitter & Facebook about not giving up. I want to end this message with a quote I shared earlier this week:
"Don't quit. When your latest efforts fail, don't quit. When your performance is scoffed and ridiculed, don't quit. When you're told you have no talent, don't quit. When you come in dead last, don't quit. When it seems an uphill fight to keep going, don't quit. When you can't see any possible way to achieve your goals, don't quit. When your last supporter is you alone, don't quit. When discouragement and depression seem your constant companion, don't quit. When you feel like quitting, don't quit. Time and time again you will crave relief from the harsh fight of trying to succeed. You will falsely think that quitting will bring peace and reprieve, but alas, only regret and disappointment await the quitter. Victory means never ever quitting. So don't quit. Do not quit." - Richelle E. Goodrich
You, your life & your purpose are far to valuable to quit Friend. Please, fight for you, fight for your purpose and please, rest for a moment if you must but please don't every quit.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
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