Winners Never Quit

Quitting is not an option for anyone of us.

(Guilty!)

We must decide what we want or need to do and make up our mind that we will do it; we will finish our course, not quit.

(Guilty!)

How many of us are in a season where you feel like you took a step of faith and things all around you seem to be crashing down? That you know in your heart of hearts you know or heard the Spirit in you tell you to take this job or ministry and it seems like all hell is breaking loose? Then you are exactly where you need to be.

Paul said that when doors of opportunity opened to him, tough times often came with it.

1 Corinthians 16:9 – “Because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”

Confidence believes that it can handle whatever comes its way; it does not fear what has happened yet.

When you attempt to do something and fear rears its ugly head you must remember that the whole goal of fear is to stop us.

Paul said he wasn’t moved by the opposition, but that his goal was to finish his course…with joy.

He not only wanted to finish what he started, he wanted to enjoy the journey.

Enjoyment is not possible if we are afraid all the time.

(Trust me; I’m knocking on my own door)

If we stare at our giants too much, the fear of them will overtake us.

Keep your eyes on the prize, not the pain.

I love what Paul says:

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Paul made up his mind that no matter what happened he was going to finish his course.

He didn’t get discouraged because he believed in what was spoken.  Look at 2 Corinthians 4: 16, 18:

16 – Therefore we not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

18 – So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

I’m not denying the existence of problems, Lord, knows I’ve had my fair share of them, but we must not allow them to rule over use.

Glance at your problems, but stare at Jesus. {Tweet That!}

Another example of this is David. He may have felt fear yet he never ran away from his giant, he courageously ran toward it.

Here is what David wrote (Amplified Version):

Psalm 56:3-4 – “What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You. By [the help of] God I will praise His word, on God I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear. What can man, who is flesh, do to me?”

David was clearly saying that even though he felt fear, he chose to be confident.

Paul said we are each running a race and that we should run it to win.

Winning requires preparation, training, sacrifice, and a willingness to press past our opposition, our tough times.

It often requires failing many times, but continuing, always keep going, despite any opposition we may encounter along the way.

Are you tempted to give up something right now?

Don’t!

Finishing your challenge, finishing your race, will build confidence. You will trust yourself more and you will trust God even more and that is what is important.

Winners don’t always take first place, but they finish the race.

Finishing your race will build your confidence.

Confidence is faith in God. A belief that because He is helping you, you can succeed in whatever you need to do.

Remember, God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound-mind – 2 Timothy 1:7

Tomorrow, I will talk with you about Courage.  What is it and how do we get it?

What are you ready to give up? What are you ready to fight for?