Holy giving up: A good type of Quitting

August 5, 2008 at 4:01 am (Uncategorized)

So I’m reading a book about how weary our hearts get in this constant onslaught of life.  It’s by Joyce Meyer and it’s called, Weary Warriors-Fainting Saints.

I won’t write tons about it, but I want to record for myself a couple of thoughts that have moved me and refocused me.

I love the prayer she herself prayed that she admits to in the beginning:

“I got really dramatic about it–down on the floor on my knees, like in one of those old movies, crying, “Help me, God…..I’m trying so hard.  I give up–I just quit.”  “ I can’t do anything without you, Lord.  I can’t change myself, my husband or my kids.  I can’t make prosperity come to me, or force healing on my body.  I can’t make my ministry grow. I can’t force myself to be nice.  I’ve tried to be quiet.  Every time instead I talk more than I ever have in my life.  I’ve tried to think positive thoughts, and I have two negative thoughts instead of one.”

Out of this “cry of her heart” arose several thing the Lord showed her that she shares.  I want to remember a couple of them:

• Anointing increases from waiting, depending, and leaning on God like a helpless child, saying, “God help me.  I need You; I can’t do this without You.”
• Many times He is the God of the midnight hour.
• We must realize that God’s timing is more accurate than ours will ever be. 
• A simple, childlike, believing stance:  “I don’t know what God will do, but I believe He will do something.” 
• “We are not called to get involved in every good work that may come our way.  We don’t always need to go out and minister–often we should go home and minister.  We often create our own problems and produce bad fruit simply because we don’t know how to say no to anything.  We want to be in on everything that is going on.  But the Lord wants us to tend to our own affairs first.  If He wants us for a particular ministry, He will speak to us where we are about what He has in mind for us.  We should seek to be discerning so we can choose the best over the good.”
•  God will not strengthen us to be out of His will.

God, 

thank you for Your sovereign, wise balance and timing in my life.

without You, 

I’d……. drive…… myself 

and what a sorry destination I’d end up in

give me courage Lord

to wait

courage to minster to You

before I seek to minister to others

courage to find out more

about what You hunger for from me

instead of what I hunger for from me