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Don’t Panic. Don’t Quit. Don’t Stop.

We are ending the month of August, which came by faster than I thought. And here in Florida where I reside, we are required to wear masks, but most people aren’t listening to that requirement. There are even people still gathering, and case are even more on the rise since school has stated back up again and looking at the news, millions more will be evicted from their homes. Everyone seems to have given up on this year. 2020 has shut down any and every plan we had. We have been kicked off our normal tracks and it is not comfortable. We just want things back to how they were. I know I do. I’m tired of looking at the news and seeing more people out of work and more people dying and more people who have to worry about the necessities of life, as they try to stay above water. This has not been easy. Even though it has not been easy, we can’t quit, we can’t panic, we can’t stop trusting in God and reaching out to God. (James 4:8 – Come near to God and he will come near to you…) Why should we not quit?

Cause If We Quit We Will Never Finish The Race 2 Timothy 4:7 – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is no problem in being worried. There is no problem in getting wear. The problem is when we give up. When you let go of God’s word. When we let go of God’s spirit. When we let go of his guidance. When you quit, you give up on more than just yourself. Keep in mind that there are others depending on you to finish the race. Hold onto God’s encouragement, God’s faithfulness, God’s strength, God’s peace. We can draw on all of these when we feel weak. So don’t quit.

Cause If We Stop We Will Not Grow John 15:5 – “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. In our life as a believer, we are always learning and growing. So if we stop watering our spirit, we will remain in the same place and will eventually wither and die. The challenges that arise are only there to make us stronger. We never truly know how strong we can become until we are faced with adversity and challenges, that are designed to make us better, not just for ourselves, but for those we will share the Gospel with. But you’ll never get there and grow to reach your purpose if you stop drinking from the well of God.

Cause If You Panic You Will Be Distracted Philippians 3:15 – So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision – you’ll see it yet! When unexpected trials come in our lives, the first thing we do is strategize about how we can make it? What we should do to stay above water? How do we keep the faith? By not allowing the circumstances to get you thrown off tracks. When we remain so focused on the problem and think of nothing else, then our situation becomes our God. Troubles can easily send you into a spiral. And for good reason. Now in life we will have ups and downs. The goal through it all is to remain focused on God who controls everything that happens. We may not be able to control the circumstance, but we can control how we act in the midst of that struggle. When can choose to have it over take us, distract us, anger us, disturb our peace. Or we can rise, knowing it’ll get better if we remain faithful.