People are quitting too easily.  They quit a difficult  marriage.  They quit a job.  They quit a hard task.  Anyone can start and have a “honeymoon” but it takes a certain mentality to stay and finish the job.

I love the Message translation of 2 Cor. 4:1—“…don’t throw up your hands and walk off the job because you run into occasional hard times.”

Here Are Six Secrets to
"Hanging in There..."

1. Think of how many people are counting on you.

“What would the world be like without you doing what you do?”    That’s the question.  If you stopped, who would be affected?  Is what you are doing so valuable that their lives would be permanently altered by your discouragement?

2. Your darkest time is right before a breakthrough.

David’s ordeal at Ziklag came right before he was made king of Judah.  His running from Saul for many years had already ended in Saul’s death…and he didn’t even know it.

“Tie a knot and hang on.”  Your worst storm, your worst midnight, your worst nightmare could be right before the sunrise.

3. You can’t run from yourself.

Often, we think our discouragements belong to everyone else.    Actually, I have been around for every mistake, every bad decision, and every road I’ve taken.  

Own it.  Some things belong to others.  Some things belong to the devil.  Some things belong to circumstances.  Own what belongs to you.  If you don’t look in the mirror and change yourself, quitting this problem will only postpone it.

4. Grow out of your tight places.

When we are ready to quit, growth is the last thing we are thinking about.  We want to “cut bait and run.”  Have you ever thought about diving into books, videos, and seminars that will help you grow your way out of it?

There are two ways to get barnacles off a ship.  One is to dry dock it and scrape it for weeks.  Or, you can pull it up into a fresh water river and they will FALL OFF.  Start growing.  Start stretching.  Grow so large that the buttons pop off of that straight jacket you feel.

5. Don’t worry about what people think about you because they don’t think  about you.

A lot of people quit because of other’s opinions.  They will have you in the grave, totally broke, and by yourself.  Nehemiah had Sanballat laughing at his wall-building crew saying “even a fox could jump on your wall and break it down.”

Guess what?  He finished the wall.

6. Character is built when you don’t quit.

Anyone can predict your failure.   Anyone can see when it is midnight.  Paul and Silas sang songs and praised God at midnight in solitary confinement.  They didn’t let pain, rejection, and injustice stop them.

Keep on singing.  God is watching.  An earthquake rumbled through town, their chains fell off, the jail door opened, and they jailer took them home to a good meal.  

Don’t quit.