4 Bold Statements To Help You Never Give Up

ByRachel Wojo

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never give up

Goal setting has been a part of my life for years. Checking off lists and projecting work assignments began at an early age for me. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from making a mark straight across the item-don’t you think?

My family jokes a little about my lists. I’m about to make a confession: Sometimes I write down items I’ve already completed on my to-do list just so I can mark them off.  But I’m a list person. It’s a part of what makes me tick- a part of who God made me to be. So I keep making lists.

There’s a problem with being a list person though.

What happens when you can’t check an item off the list? You’ve tried and tried, but you just keep falling short. 

Last year about this time, I was feeling like throwing in the towel on a running goal. Feeling old and slow, I was doing my best to push forward in preparation to run a half marathon. I couldn’t seem to keep going like I had for previous races and the list wasn’t getting checked off. As a writer, my first reaction was to write about the life experience. But the night I attempted to express my words, they fell short. And I wound up writing that the best thing I know to do when I feel like giving up is to turn to God’s Word. A list of 12 Bible Verses for when you feel like giving up was born.

I muddled my way through the training and completed the half marathon, though not with a personal record by any means. It rained the ENTIRE race. I don’t mean a light sprinkle. I mean my clothes were soaked, my shoes slopped like 90 year old sponges and it.was.miserable. So the half marathon seemed quite the failure to me in many ways. The goals I expected to meet were ambushed and my spirit felt crushed.

But I still know that the best place to turn when you feel like giving up is God’s Word. Apparently a whole lot of other people have realized that since last January. Because the verse list God had me join together in the middle of my sorry pit has been pinned over 122,000 times. That’s just how big God is. His picture is more than 3D.

I’ve learned a serious life lesson from this story. It can be summed up in three words:

Never give up.

When I read Psalm 31 not long ago, I was studying in more detail and decided to read The Message version of the Psalm. Verse 24 arrested me and I stared at the breathtaking beauty of four bold statements.

Be brave.

Be strong.

Don’t give up.

Expect God to get here soon.

You see- there are really 4 parts to never giving up.

We have to be brave and courageous.

The battles are fierce but as Christians, we’re not fighting the battles alone.

The battle is the Lord’s. I Samuel 17:47

We have to be strong.

The strength doesn’t come from ourselves.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Eph. 6:10

We need to never give up.

Because God never gave up on us.

Blessed be God, who has given peace to his people Israel just as he said he’d do. Not one of all those good and wonderful words that he spoke through Moses has misfired. May God, our very own God, continue to be with us just as he was with our ancestors—may he never give up and walk out on us. May he keep us centered and devoted to him, following the life path he has cleared, watching the signposts, walking at the pace and rhythms he laid down for our ancestors. I Kings 8:56-58 MSG

Expect God to show up in your pit.

This is where I was a bit confused that night I made the list of verses for when you feel like giving up. Isn’t God everywhere? Doesn’t he already know everything? Of course he does. But his timing is impeccable. His way is the best way. And sometimes we are waiting on Him to move. At this point, we have the privilege of anticipation.

My husband and I take a trip as a couple each spring. Alone. Without children. Can I tell you that I anticipate that trip like no other? I take so much joy in knowing that the time is coming and we both look forward to it like giddy students on the last day of school before summer break.

Psalm 31:24 is telling us to anticipate God’s work. We know he is good. We know he will work all things for our good. With joy, we can expect and anticipate that his work is going to be more than we can imagine.

Never give up-

God is always at work.

Rachel

17 Comments

  1. thank you! i needed this and the lord led me straight to this post. you’re an inspiring woman of God cant wait to read more on your blog its my first time here;) God bless you and beautiful family.

  2. I’m a little behind on reading your posts 🙁 but I read this tonight, and I really needed it. I’ve been feeling like I am failing at pretty much everything…parenting, home making, employment (have none, trying to get my own business going with not much result), homeschool, etc. And there are days I just feel worthless (my own doing…my husband keeps encouraging me but I shrug it off most days) and feel like throwing in the towel on most of it…wondering what my purpose is, wondering what God is going to use me for. Feeling like I’m not quite walking His path but have no clue how to get to where He wants me to be….frustrated. So anyhow, long story long, I really needed this tonight so I guess it’s okay I’m plying catch up. Thank you for your truthfulness and your open heart honesty and encouragement.

  3. Rachel, you were God’s answer to my prayer tonight after a day of feeling defeated in my attempt to chisel away at some of the things I do that are just not pleasing to God. My question was “God, why do I continue to do the things I do not want to do and not the things I want to do?” I received the first answer through 2 Bible Studies I have been praying through: Kelley Latta’a Tested by Fire and Tara Furman’s Intimacy with God. Both studies at the point I am at led me to Galatians 5:16-18. In that, He answered my question but here in your words, He has given me new hope for tomorrow! Praise Jesus! God bless!

  4. Love the list! Of course I love all your lists! The words brave, courageous and strong evoke such emotion and such power if you truly feel those three things. There are times that those three words do not seem to describe me but God continues to teach us that we are brave, courageous and strong because He provides this and more. We just need to trust and let God work in us. Thank you as always for the list and insight into God’s extraordinary blessings for us.

  5. I love your practice of writing down things you have already done so you can cross them off. It is important to have a “done” list as well as a to-do list. And, yes, as you discovered God doesn’t waste anything, not even our tears (he keeps them all in a bottle).

  6. Hi Rachel,
    I can’t tell you how much I needed to read this today. Its been a terrible few weeks, I’m running on empty and my spirit has been crushed. I googled bible verse when you feel like giving up and this was on the top of the list. God knew exactly what I needed from him today. Thank you for being the vessel for him to work through.

    1. Oh Jessica. So sorry to read of your circumstances. Life is tough and we all have times when we feel like giving up. Praise the Lord for His strength to keep us going. Thank you for your sweet note. God is gracious!

  7. Hi Rachel,

    You have a gift of being able to take concepts and (maybe it’s your list making ability) you break the concepts down into memorable bite-sized bullet points that I am able to do and apply.

    Thank you, Never give up took on a whole new filled out meaning today.

    Blessings,

    Joanne

  8. Jasmine Shaw says:

    Hi Rachel,

    I just wanna say that I absolutely love your blog. Your prayers and helpful versus have gotten me through some of my worst days. I save them as my screen savers and backgrounds on my phone! It really helps to hear the words of someone so deeply rooted in the word of God. I love how you keep it real and you’ve taught me that I can be totally honest with God; I don’t need to go to him like I’m praying to some foreign, proper entity. I can talk to him just like I can talk to you. Thanks for being such an inspiration to this growing 23 year old. On days when I feel like giving up, tremendously overwhelmed or just plain tired I know that I can always calm down and say a quick prayer that I pinned on Pinterest thanks to you 🙂

    1. Bless you, Jasmine. God is good. Thank you for your encouraging words!! Stay in the Word! It’s life and breath. Hope you have a great day!

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