Last year I was sitting in a boat fishing with my closest friend.  It was just him and I on a beautiful spring morning.  I was savoring our time together as he had moved away a few years prior when God called him to pastor a church in a small rural community.  We had been sitting in silence and I asked him the question “How are you doing?”.  I knew that the past years had been difficult for him and his family.  What followed was about 10 minutes of further silence,  Just as I began to wonder if he had actually heard me he answered.  He said ” I’ve given up but I haven’t quit.”

My first thought was how can that be, giving up is quitting.  Little did I know at that time how deep an impact that answer would have on my own life.  He spoke words of truth that I needed to hear.  We are called to give up, to give up all things into the care of God,  everything,  no limits! Even our own passions, desires, and plans. This is an incredibly difficult way to live but with it comes great freedom in Christ.

When we refuse to give up to God, our lives and everything in it,  we will inevitably end up quitting.  Man’s plans fail, they always do,  when we focus on worldly failure or success it is a great indicator that we have not given up, that we still have our name on the owners label.

Just as we are called to give up,  we are also called to never quit.  We are called to run the race and finish well,  to never quit praying in all things,  to never abandon the faith God works in us, to never quit believing,  We must never quit preaching the gospel in word and in deed, never quit loving God, to continue in perseverance learning to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  It is by giving up our lives, everything, all in, that we are able to never quit in the calling that God lays upon our hearts.

May you be encouraged this day to give it all up but never quit!  “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25

-Winston