Ready To Give Up?

We live in such an instant society!  I think we often expect solutions to all our “issues” quickly.

Take for instance my recent decision to get serious about exercise, eating healthy and losing weight. This week I did well. I counted calories and stopped at the “right” number each day. I exercised most days, and some days twice! I drank more water and tried to get more sleep. So today when I headed toward the scale I actually wasn’t dreading it. I stepped on, waited….

for nothing!

There was a 0 where I expected to see a minus sign. All that work, and nothing to show for it! I was ready to give up, throw in the towel and find myself a hot fudge sundae! It was clear I couldn’t make this work!

Before the real wallowing began I stopped and gave this some serious thought. I wasn’t really thinking about what I could have done differently this week, but about my reaction to the outcome. Just because what I saw on the scale wasn’t what I wanted doesn’t mean I failed this week.

This week I learned things about myself and my habits that I didn’t realize before. I made progress in setting an exercise schedule, and began to think differently about food. The problem isn’t what I did all week as much as in my expectations.

We are so used to instant contact via e-mail or cell phone, instant food via drive-through or microwave, instantly watching any program we want via internet or digital cable and so on. I think perhaps we also tend to expect instant change and instant solutions to all of our problems. We forget that learning something new takes time and practice.

Think of athletes, musicians, or chefs whom you admire for their abilities.Look up their biographies and learn what it took for them to get to where they are today. I guarantee it wasn’t instant, but their passion for what they were looking toward was strong enough that they didn’t give up. They kept at it, no matter how long it took.

We won’t find instant success either. We will have times when we feel we aren’t making progress and probably times when we take steps backwards. But this doesn’t mean we are failures, simply that we are learning. And giving up won’t get us any closer to what we’re after. Keeping at it will.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1b-2

Even Jesus had to endure 30 years of life on earth and then the shame of the cross before He could reach His Heavenly destination. He made it and so will we, if we don’t give up!

So whatever you’re facing today, whatever your race is, keep at it. Keep going, and keep your eyes on Jesus. He will give you the strength and the wisdom you need not only to finish, but to win!

blessings and peace to you today!

Paula