NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!!!
NEVER GIVE UP!!!
By Mark S. Simpson
Never give up…how many times have you heard this from people? Friends? Family? Co-workers? Do you ever get tired of hearing this? Especially in moments when it’s the last thing people want to hear? I’ll be honest with you, I’ve been there before. I know what it’s like to wake up and think to myself “oh not another day.” Not every day is a walk in the park for anybody. But there’s one gigantic detail that many of us miss because of pride and self-dependency. Do you want to know what that detail is? I’ll tell you but I must warn you, this is not for the faint of heart. You yourself must make the decision to accept or deny this reality. So here it is…the one gigantic detail that we all miss…including me at times. You ready? Are you sure? Ok here it goes…
COMPLETE RELIANCE ON CHRIST AND NOT ON YOURSELF!!!
Now before you tune me out, hear me out. I was raised in a Christian home with Christian parents. I was adopted when I was 2 ½ years old from Bombay India. Due to my birth condition that I had, I underwent surgery to amputate both legs. When I woke up from that surgery, I remember looking down at myself and dreading what was to come. Questions came fast and furious. “How am I supposed to do anything the way I am Lord?” “How am I supposed to serve you without legs?” “How am I supposed to show up in front of the public people with the way I look?” I was at a point in my life where nothing made sense and nothing felt real. And nothing felt right. There was only two options that were available…either stay where I was at…or look to the Father and allow Him to work through the situation to give Him glory and honor for all that was going on. Choosing the second option seemed to be what was best for the time at hand. However, although surrendering to God was what was on the mind at the time, God had other ideas that were beyond the normal pay grade.
Because of be self-conscience about what people thought when they saw me, I never wanted to be in a situation where I’d have to be in front of people. Nevertheless, God had other ideas that were quite shocking and ground breaking. At first I didn’t realize the significance of what God really wanted me to do. It came pretty transparent to me three weeks after surgery. Remember all those questions I asked above? All could be answered by the realization of the above statement. In Matthew 19:26 it says, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mark are you saying that if I trust in God He can and will accomplish in me what I doubt in myself? You are absolutely right. But, your heart and the heart of God have to be COMPLETELY in line with each other. Let me explain. Imagine yourself a house-builder. As the builder of the house, if the measurements aren’t correct, then you’re going to come up with a pretty lousy and possibly disoriented house. Every smart builder measures and re-measures and re-measures. Why? Because they want the finishing product to be what the owners imagine it to be. Same with God. God has already made His measurements to your life. All you have to do, is trust in Him fully and rely on the simple fact that He knows what’s best. Do you remember the story of Noah? Noah was called by God to build an Ark in order to save his family. Had he not listened to God, his family would’ve been wiped from the face of the earth and there would’ve have been no hope to the human race. The importance of relying on God when all hope seems lost is the best course of action. In Psalms 127:1 it says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain…” Meaning that if you live your life on the fact that your Mr./Ms Invincible, your life will and can turn out to be quite chaotic.
As I’ve told you before, I grew up in a Christian home, but many of these foundational truths didn’t occur to me until I was in my 20’s…I can honestly say had I known back then what I knew now, I would’ve made wiser decisions. However, living life without limbs has enabled me to better live life looking for the next opportunity to serve and reach out. Why? It’s what I have been called to do. It doesn’t matter what you have or don’t have. God has given you the tools to succeed and you can if and only if you want to. Not every day is a walk in the park to many people. But when you rely on God’s guidance you can’t go wrong. In Psalms 119:105 the psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Meaning that he used God’s word, His very being as a means to get through life. Same with me. I can’t live a day without God. Can’t go to work or breathe without God. But knowing who is in control, puts into effect the reality that we cannot live life on our own. It’s completely impossible. The only person stopping you from living this type of life is…YOU!!! That’s right…YOU!!! Do you want to find fulfillment, you have to trust in God. Give Him your all and He will give you His absolute best.
