God Does Not Want You To Quit. Keep Going!

Is God telling you to keep going when all you keep getting is no? Maybe God has put a dream in your heart that you can’t seem to shake off no matter how much you try. And it seems the louder the no get, the stronger the conviction to keep going. Have you been wondering what’s going on and why you feel the tug to keep going despite the endless disappointments?

The Christian journey often makes little sense. Especially when you have to exercise faith in a situation that looks impossible. The world says that we cannot do the same thing repeatedly and expect different results. But what happens when it’s God who is telling you to keep going amid disappointment? What do you do?

Let’s look at someone from the scripture who had to keep going despite the disappointment.

Naaman.

Elisha told Naaman to wash 7 times at River Jordan so that God could heal him of his leprosy. He had been battling an incurable disease that left him vulnerable and self-conscious. And before he could receive his healing, here was Elisha telling him to go wash there. First off, he had to expose himself by literally revealing the wound he had. This must have been difficult for him. This was because of his position. He was in the army and was powerful, too. So imagine having to become vulnerable in front of his subordinates. He must have wondered if he would lose his authority and power as well. Initially, he said no, but eventually one of his guards convinced him and he said yes.

So down went Naaman. He washed himself the first time, but nothing happened. He washed himself the 2nd time and the third time and still nothing happened. Naaman had to do so six times with no result, then finally the 7th time, he was cured of his disease.

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

² Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. ³ She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

⁴ Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. ⁵ “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter, I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

⁷ As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I, God? Can I kill it and bring it back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

⁸ When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

¹¹ But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

¹³ Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed!” ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Looking at his story, we see he had to do it 6 times before it could work on the 7th. So imagine how he must have felt the 4th and the 5th time. Maybe he thought it would not work. He must have wondered if he had made a mistake. And perhaps he must have wondered how he would get his position and power back if things did not go as planned. How was he going to face the subordinates with the wound still there? Now, of course, because we know the end of the story, we can skim past the story. But for a second I want you to picture Naaman washing 6 times with no results. And as you do, I want you to imagine yourself in his shoes. It might not be an illness that you are facing, it could be a dream.

Maybe there is a dream that God has placed in your heart that has yet to manifest. And perhaps you have been at it for months, years, or even decades. And you might wonder if it will ever come to be. Maybe because of the disappointment you have said that it was not for you. And perhaps you feel like forfeiting the promise because the process is long. Is it you? Do you like Naaman? Feel like there could have been an easier way? Remember, at some point, Naaman had even questioned why Elisha told him to wash at River Jordan when there were other cleaner rivers in his area. And this discouraged him.

Are you discouraged? Do you feel you just want the easy way out? Doe sit seem like the way God has you going is unchartered? Maybe you wish God had taken you through the normal route. And it feels like because this is different, you are not sure if you want to keep going. Maybe you feel unqualified to do the thing God has called you to. And if this is you today, I want to encourage you to keep going. Yes, it might not have happened when you thought it would. But that does not mean it never will. It is only a matter of time. And God’s time is different t from yours.

Every promise God gives you is yes and amen in Christ Jesus. This simply means that whatever God has promised you, He will bring it to pass. It might not look like you thought it would, but it will. And the best part of it is it will be exceedingly, abundantly anything you could ever ask or imagine. And that is a promise. But before there can be the manifestation of your purpose, there is a process.

So what do you do when God tells you to keep going despite the circumstances?

Lean in.

There will be moments where your faith gets tempted so much so that you get tempted to quit. And it is in those moments that God will require you to lean in. It’s easy to lean in when things are good. But it is when things are bad that leaning in becomes a sacrifice. God wants you to keep holding on to Him and His word even at the worst. He wants you to exercise your faith muscle. Just because something is a fact does not make it the norm. Yes, you are experiencing rejection right now, but that does not make the idea wrong.

Maybe the people around you don’t understand you, but that does not mean God has not put the dream inside you. He has, and He has a plan. Just because it has taken years does not mean that it will never come to pass. The timing of God is perfect. And because a thousand years is like a day to Him, it might look like a delay. But He is the one guiding you and ordering your steps. You might have done the same thing repeatedly with no fruit, but it will come to be. God honors His word and keeps His promises.

Focus only on the knowledge inside.

A dream that comes from God can never be thwarted. No matter how much you try you will. Never be able to shake it off. One of the litmus tests to see if a dream is from God is the fact that you will keep cycling back to it despite the setbacks. If you have been experiencing this feeling where you can’t shake off an idea, it could mean that it is from God. And if that’s the case, then allow the knowing from deep within to guide you. As long as the inner knowing is there, there is still hope. It does not matter how many times you get rejected or misunderstood.

As long as God said it, and the inner knowing is there, it will come to be. So let me ask you this: have you given up on something because of the times it has failed? Have you been experiencing disappointment trying to pursue your dream? Then let this be the reminder and the cup of hope you need to remind you to keep going.

The truth is that God has not forgotten about you.

Joseph had a dream from God and he still held on to it even when it looked hopeless. I mean, it does not get hopeless than you being thrown into prison. Yet Joseph still hoped and had faith because he knew God would keep his promises.

Abraham still held on to the promise that he would have a son even as the years went by. He knew that God had made him a promise and He would fulfill it. His faith was so strong that when God told him to sacrifice his son Isaac, he did not hesitate. He knew God had the power to resurrect him if need be. This is the faith you need to have. The faith that makes you realize that there are no limits placed on God except the ones we put on Him. What limits have you set on God?

As you focus on the knowing inside, ensure that you are centered on God. This is because He is the one who will give you the encouragement you need to fight another day. He is the one who will. Give you the confidence when all you want to do is quit. God is the one who will give you the strength to keep going when all you want to is to give up. You see the knowing inside is the Holy Spirit.

He is the one who convicts you to keep going. The conviction does not lead to condemnation rather it leads to direction and persistence. Remember, God wants you to win, so He will strengthen you when you have no strength. Remember, God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus just before he went to the cross. And it’s the same today.

Allow God to validate you and give you the blueprint.

God is the only one who can truly validate you. Often we seek approval from mam or the people closest to us. But true validation should come only from God. He is the only one who can truly give you the identity you need. He is the one who gave you the vision and dream so you don’t need to seek approval from Him or try to make Him understand. Another thing is that sometimes you keep getting the no’s because you are doing it the same way other people did it. But have you considered the thought that God could have a different path for you?

Maybe what He wants you to do is different and has never been done before. Could it be that God has something new for you? Maybe He wants you to be a pioneer. Will you say yes to that? You could wait for the people around you to pave the way for you. But maybe God wants you to do it yourself. Or maybe the person who God wants to help you is not in your vicinity. And it could require you to think outside the box. Are you trying to knock on doors that God has shut?

Remember, any door that God locks, no one can open. And it will not matter how much you try, it still won’t open. So today I would like to challenge you to stop expecting those around you to understand or help you. Rather I want to encourage you to let God be the one to show you what to do. The person you expect to help might not be the one God has assigned to help you. And maybe God is still preparing them. That’s why it is taking time. What God has in store for you will blow your mind.

Noah had the blueprint to build the ark. But he had never seen one before. He was only building using the blueprint. He must have felt ridiculous doing it. But he did it anyway. And because of his obedience and resilience, he and his family were spared from the floods. Sometimes the blueprint that God wants you to follow could be what God uses to save your lineage from future problems. So instead of trying to do it everyone’s way, do it His way. And you will not regret it.

Try again.

It is easy to give up when things get tough, but it takes faith to try again when it is easier to quit. It might be easier to do things the way they have always been done. But the reward for going against the grain is greater. There are abnormal profits from saying yes to pioneering and paving the way. When you are tempted to give up, don’t. Just like Naaman, press on until you see your miracle. You might have been doing it for 5 years, but don’t give up on the promise that God gave you. Abraham, David, and Joseph all pressed in when the circumstances contradicted their promise. And in the end, they enjoyed the fruits of their labor simply because they did not give up.

Conclusion

God does not want you to give up on the promises He has spoken over your life. He wants you to keep going. God will bring all the promises He has spoken over you to pass. Don’t grow weary because you will reap if you faint not. Your breakthrough is on the way. And your miracle is closer than you think.