Don't quit

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  –Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
 
There’s a scene I love in a movie I love called “Facing the Giants”. In the scene, a football coach teaches one of his players that he is capable of much more than he thinks he is, and, if he will lead out in the giftedness God has given him, others will follow. Here’s the link if you want to see it: Facing the Giants - Death Crawl scene
 
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.  –Hebrews 5:8 (ESV)
 
We tend to think of the suffering of Christ in terms of the torture He endured in His trials and crucifixion. It is important to consider the price Jesus paid just to step into humanity. He did not have to give up heaven – He chose to. Even as He lived out His days on earth, He could have walked around in a bubble, above it all, and not experienced first-hand the challenges of being a human in a fallen world.
 
 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.  –Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)
 
He didn’t have to endure temptation, but He did. He didn’t have to suffer physical and emotional pain – but He did. He didn’t have to walk among broken people who were light-years away from God’s design and plan for their lives. But He did. He did so perfectly, and thus became the perfect sacrifice for sin.
 
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  –Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
 
Looking to that example, I realize that faith untested is not faith, but mere theory. If the Son of God chose the path of trial and temptation in order to be proven worthy, why should I think I would be exempt from that? Since He chose such a path, He knows the way and offers the strength to finish.
 
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  –Hebrews 3:12 (NIV)
 
The Israelites witnessed the plagues in Egypt. They crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. They enjoyed God’s provision in the desert. They were on the very cusp of entering the Promised Land. And an entire generation of them died without setting foot on the ground God had secured for them as their birthright. Close enough to see it, and they MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH!
 
 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.  Hebrews 3:14 (NIV)
 
When times are hard or the odds look overwhelming or we’ve been at it for a long, long time without seeing any result, it is human nature to get tired, get discouraged, and lose our faith. Even when I no longer believe in myself, I must never stop believing in God. He sees. He knows. And I’m closer than I think. He does not call us to be “successful”; He calls us to be faithful. Don’t give up!