If you’ve ever wondered how to not give up when life is hard, you’re not alone.
There’ve been times in my life when I honestly felt like I could not face another day. Many times, I wished life would be easy. If only things would just settle down long enough for me to catch my breath.
I wondered to myself: why life is so hard.
Maybe you have too.
Even as Christians, we can begin to feel like we deserve better. After all, if we’re going to sacrifice and do what’s right, it’s only fair that we reap the benefits of good living.
Modern-day society tells us that if we work hard, we will get the reward we deserve, and things will go well. Rather than prepare you for how to not give up, we are made to expect good things on every corner. But can I be honest with you for a minute? Life doesn’t always work that way.
In John 16:33, Jesus warned that you will have trouble in this life.
You will face difficulties. Life will feel unfair. People will be harsh, uncaring, downright rude sometimes. You will encounter storms. You might even wonder if God is still there.
In Psalm 73 Asaph looked around and saw that those who didn’t follow God were prospering, while those who did the right thing were getting the short end of the stick—or so it seemed. It just didn’t make sense to him, and believe me, I can relate.
So, what does all of this have to do with not giving up?
Allow me to tell you a story.
You see, I live in a very special part of the world that many consider paradise. I know, I’m biased but the phrase, “I live where you vacation” is not an exaggeration. It is a beautiful slice of heaven on earth right here in the Caribbean.
Living in paradise has it perks, but the day my family spent six hours huddled in a closet fearing for our lives, was no fun at all. It was September 6, 2017, and I remember it like it was yesterday because it was the scariest day of our lives.
Hurricanes used to be just another part of life here in the islands, but this one was different. The impact was such that it became a permanent fixture in time, and to this day, everything is marked by life before Hurricane Irma and life after.
According to the Royal Meteorological Society, Hurricane Irma has been recorded as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in history. Topping the scale as a Category 5 hurricane, it wreaked havoc on the west coast of Florida, and pummeled more than a dozen Caribbean islands and territories, including my home country of the British Virgin Islands.
As the storm raged, there were times I wondered if we would make it out alive—and it’s not because I was overreacting. Even while we sheltered in the closet, we could tell that our roof had been compromised. The water forced its way inside and had begun pooling at our feet.
Read what happened next in Courage to Keep Going After Crisis: Living in the Wake of Hurricane Irma.
I pray that through my story you will find how to not give up when you face your own storms in life.
Read the rest of the story here.
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