Don't Give Up

There is a temptation that strikes at times when we slip-up. It's an aftershock of having given in to a previous temptation and sinned. The aftershock temptation goes something like this: 'Now I've gone and blown it. I've failed. What a trainwreck I've caused!' And then conclude, 'I may as well give up since I've stopped living righteously. It doesn't matter anymore', plunging ourselves into a worse condition. This is an attitude of self-serving arrogance. What we're really saying is, 'Since I won't take this to God, I'll just live to satisfy myself.'


I think it's easy to get sucked into this type of temptation and is a bad idea to toy with these sorts of thoughts. Why were we so unhappy about the fall in the first place? Were we trying to please God or ourselves? Throwing off the righteousness of God, having a pity-party or going around blungeoning ourselves doesn't please God.


One of our Christian brothers whom you may know, Philip, reminded me a little over a week ago, "..without faith, it is impossible to please God." It is a quote taken from Hebrews 11:6. Here's the rest of it: "because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."


The choices we make matter. The best thing we can do is to trust God's Word and earnestly seek Him. Let us run, ASAP, to the Lord in humility and confess whatever sin was commited against Him. Then, our relationship with Him may be restored as He shelters and upholds us. And our strength is renewed.




May we go about singing and shouting things of excellence, like these words from Psalms 73:28 that David wrote:

"But as for me, God's presence is my good. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, so I can tell about all You do."