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Recently, I was having a conversation with a fellow minister and discussing our lives in the earlier days of our ministries. During that conversation, I reflected on the fact that because my wife and I had only one car for our family at that time, and it was an extremely “used” car, that I would often walk to our church services in order to arrive a bit early to pray before anyone else arrived. The walk was only about a mile, but I had a hole in both of my shoes, and they were my one and only pair of dress shoes. So on rainy days, I would arrive with my socks pretty soaked and my feet would squishing noises while I preached.
[highlight]Here I was, the pastor of the church, but I was so broke that a new pair of shoes to preach in was a major faith project.[/highlight]
Looking back, things like this make for some pretty funny stories about enduring hard times until you build your faith for more. But I actually know people who have quit over things far less significant than having to preach with holes in their shoes.
Perhaps the reason some people give up so easily when they first begin to walk with the Lord and develop their faith in His promises, is because they have never been taught on the power of an unwavering commitment, and how to endure hard times without caving in. Not every day is sunshine and roses my friend, and if you don’t learn to look beyond where you are right now to the manifestation of what God promised you in His Word, the overwhelming urge to quit will jump all over you.
Let me share with you a passage in the Bible that has always brought me a lot of strength.
[x_blockquote cite=”Isaiah 43:19 KJV” type=”left”]“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”[/x_blockquote]
God wants to provide for us a “road in the wilderness” and “rivers in the desert.” But it is impossible to look in two directions at the same time. So if your focus remains on all the problems of yesterday, which includes the wilderness and the desert, it will drain you of your strength to persevere for the things ahead.
However, I have learned that a committed Christian majors in road and river talk. Their conversation isn’t focused on the wilderness and the desert at all, even though they might be right in the middle of those very things at the moment.
They instead are determined to endure the hard times, knowing full well that since God promised them a road in the wilderness, then He will surely provide one to them. And since He promised them a river in the desert, they refuse to give up until they see it manifest.
I pray for more and more believers to be this type of committed Christian in these last days. Because it seems to me that we have so many part-time Christians who cannot withstand adversity, or weather the smallest storms of life without throwing in the towel.
You see, part-time Christians always give up before they arrive at the road that will take them out of the wilderness, and before they drink from the river the Lord provides for them in the hot and dry desert.
A part-time Christian lives for the Lord only when it is convenient, and usually only focuses on the wilderness and desert. But if we are going to move forward with the Lord in these last days, our commitment to Him must be strong and unswerving.
Total and undying commitment is inconvenient for the part-time Christian. So if you have been a part-time Christian, then stop being one. Jump in to the things of God with both feet, even if you don’t have the answer to every situation you are facing. And even if you don’t have all the money you need, and even if everything in your life isn’t completely perfect and smooth, become totally committed.
[highlight]Don’t give up.[/highlight] Because even if it seems at the moment as though nothing is working, or even falling completely apart for that matter, be so committed to the Lord and His House that you won’t quit until you see the road in the wilderness, and the rives in the desert. This is what I have done. And I no longer preach with holes in my shoes!
