I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Luke 10:19
Those days where you want to quit, to just finally give up and say, “Enough!” We all have them. And that is what the enemy wants. What he feeds on, puts his hope in, encourages, and where he exerts his energy.
Creating quitters who walk away from situations that are tough. Or his favorite; Christians who walk away from their faith.
Hes’ a cunning liar. Just like in the garden with Eve, he whispers lies. “Phst, God didn’t really mean you have to stay in this marriage if you’re unhappy.” Or “God didn’t really mean you had to be respectful to that boss. He knows how difficult she is to work with, surely He didn’t mean for you to . . .”
Before we throw in the towel and walk away, we need to decide if what we’re hearing is in line with God’s word. Or is it a deceitful whisper from our enemy who seeks to destroy us?
God did give us authority to say, “Enough!”
Enough of the lies. Enough of the deceit. Enough of listening to one who slithers around, sneaking into the cracks in order to take us down to his lowly level.
My friend, keep going. PUSH – Pray Until Something Happens. Because when you come out of this trial, you will be able to look back and say, “Look what God did!” Instead of, “Look what the enemy ruined.”
Triumph! You’ve got this one!
Have you ever pursued when you were exhausted and wanted to quit? What happened? Did you feel triumphant on the other side the trial? Please share in the comments! Your story will inspire someone!
Blessings,
This is fantastic Mel. I’m in the middle of a trial with my teenage daughter right now, I need to remember to PUSH!
Praying for you Steph. Teen years are tough. Right there with ya!
I haven’t visited at your site for awhile. A friend mentioned your blog and I had a V-8 response. So here I am to probably one of the most appropo posts ever. So the real question, which situation should I delve into!
The real test for me was in relationships. Many people likely feel this way. My relationship to my mother in law is now good. Marrying an only child put me firmly in the crosshairs of her scrutiny. Keep in mind that I’ve been with him for 17 years now. You mentioned being pursued and wanting to quit. She’s got an idomitable will and a volatile temper. Living with her for eight and half years (yes, the half year counts), created many fantasies where I wanted to quit. The part of the relationship that works is that she’s got a personal relationship with Jesus.
With the benefit of perspective, I had a lot more of the relationship in my power than I understood at the time. WHat I think, what I feel and what I believe are all firmly in my grasp. When someone’s trying to mess with your head, there is actually a lot you can do to stay safe and still be in relationship. That part where I mentioned that she is a believer? Well, God was active in working with her to demonstrate on her side what needed to change. That surprised me too.
The point where I really wanted to quit the relationship was during the marital separations. She was very ugly during those times. There was one birthday party that she had flown out to my parent’s city to attend. All this time when I was living with her, I heard about her home/ her rules. When she was in my parent’s home, she did not respect any of their processes or expectations. All this time, it’s a birthday party for a child and not the place to have a scene. She riled up my estranged husband so much, he pulled me aside and in a bedroom screamed at me loud enough for the people outside could hear some of it. Then, realising she was about to experience a response from me, faked having a nap. Instead of the party being an opportunity to build understanding, celebrate common causes, it became the standard for why we were living 2 thousand miles apart.
When the separation came to a successful resolution, she actually told me that she was completely surprised that we were getting back together again. She had always wanted all of her son’s attention on her. There was a sense of disappointment, believe it or not.
I felt it was important to forgive her regardless of her decision to change. It left the door open. That became important when my husband (her son) was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012. I’ve talked about that in other responses. Inside of five minutes, she and I put down all of these years of rivalry, to be in position to support my husband in his fight.
Funny thing, she prefers having life this way. It wasn’t me who was stopping her from having this connection. Now that it’s better, it does take some housekeeping to keep the friendship tidy. God is still with us, helping us avoid mis understandings and guiding us to better choices. Yeah, I’m glad I perserved this relationship. The best part of it is that the children aren’t served up a heaping portion of tension, frustration and bad examples. They can spend time with this set of grandparents and it’s precious and joyful experiences all around!
Wow. You have dealt with a lot! Continued prayers for your husband and your relationship with your MIL. Thank you for sharing your story! I’m sure it is meant to bless and encourage someone who finds their way here and I greatly appreciate your heart and honesty.