For people who've had enough of problems and challenges and are now considering quitting, Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church is recommending that they read the story of David in the Bible.
"Scripture tells us repeatedly to take hold of God's strength. This is what David did. He was doing the right thing, but the wrong thing kept happening to him year after year. His family looked down on him and treated him like he was second class. He could have been sour and upset. Instead, he kept taking care of his father's sheep, doing it with a good attitude and being a person of excellence," Osteen wrote on his blog.
People might wonder how David could keep standing strong even if things weren't going his way. Even though David was loyal to King Saul, the king even threw a spear at him and tried to kill his faithful servant. But Osteen says David listened to God when He said, "David, don't get weary in well doing."
"He understood that when you give into weariness, you lose your strength," explained Osteen. "When you start thinking, 'It's not fair. It's been so long. It's never going to work out,' the energy you need to move into your destiny is being drained out."
The pastor clarified that he does not mean people should never feel weariness, because he is certain those feelings will come. What he is saying is that people should not allow weariness into their lives, because it will sap out their passion, determination and courage to fight the good fight of faith.
When David experienced his darkest hour — finding out that the city he loved and grew up in had been attacked and destroyed, his family members kidnapped and all of his possessions burned — he gathered up enough strength and energy and thought, "I've come too far to stop now. I'm not allowing this weariness in. I'm going to stir my faith back up."
David found strength in God and resisted any urge to weep or complain. Osteen imagined David thinking to himself then: "I'm strong in the Lord. I'm anointed. I'm well able. The forces that are for me are greater than the forces that are against me."
Osteen hopes people who are on the brink of giving up can take a cue from David and take hold of God's strength so they can press through to the victory God has in store for them.
