I get it. Sometimes calling it quits can be such an appealing option. Life's tough but it's also ever changing. Whether it's a job, dream, relationship or some other passion, this post is for you before you call it quits or throw in the towel. Here …

As I write this post, I am also ministering to myself. I have a heart full of dreams, from businesses to trips to children and some obstacles rise up and try to shake my faith. If this is you today, if you just want to give up, know that I understand where you are.

This blog and business has been a lifetime dream of mine, and after two years of pouring my heart into it, there are days where I sit back and wonder if it is even worth it? Is it helping anyone? Is there anyone out there? Does this matter?

We all have dreams, jobs, and goals and because life is life, there will be times where the circumstances stop you in your tracks and make you question if there is even a point in continuing. I think there are several things to take into consideration with a question like this so today we start a mini-series that I hope blesses your socks off, lifts some burden from your shoulders and stokes the passion of your heart.

Marriage and Life

A couple of disclaimers:

This post has its limitations. Let me just tell you that if it is your marriage that you are thinking of quitting there’s ALWAYS hope for you. As someone who has had to fight for her marriage, I know it’s a tough fight. It’s easy in that fight to forget who you are or even when you’re fighting day after day to stay at all when it feels like all you’re sojourning for is more fighting.

Maybe it is life you are feeling weary of. Again I am well aquatinted with that feeling as well. Don’t you give up. You have no idea what the future has in store for you and the fact that you are here reading this today is proof that God loves you and has plans for you and your life.

This is just a simple blog post, and it is in no way significant enough or exhaustive enough for either of those situations. I can tell you from first-hand experience in both areas that His love makes living and loving so worth it. Beyond that simple truth, you need help, and there is no shame in that. Reach out. Get some counseling! Christian counseling is awesome. If you’ve been there done that and it wasn’t impressive for you then do it again. Go somewhere else, but don’t quit.

With that said let’s jump in.

Who Are You Doing This For?

When you feel the urge to throw your hands up and just walk away, the first thing you have to ask yourself is “Who are you doing this for?” If you find that you’re doing it just for yourself to either, prove you can or because you think it will somehow fulfill you or esteem you higher then that could be your problem. Doing things solely for yourself is an empty pursuit. You won't find fulfillment in that mindset.

Maybe you’re doing it for your family or even your lineage. Maybe you’re doing it for your community. I love the idea of building something that will set my children and their children up for success or work to establish something that changes a whole neighborhood for the better. Sometimes all we need is a quick reminder of who we are doing this for. When we imagine them living in the abundance and security of what we’ve labored for, it makes the labor and challenging parts of the process far more bearable.

There is this great commercial on these days that features a grandmother who immigrated to America and worked several demanding jobs during her life. As we watch her in her positions over the years, we hear her sharing with her grandbaby that she worked the tough jobs and endured because she knew she was providing a future where her granddaughter would have the freedom to be whatever she wanted to be.

Maybe that is you. You need to endure and push through and do the hard work to lay the foundation for your children and grandchildren to have the freedom to build whatever they want on the legacy of your life. You have to work and hustle to pay off the debt so that your children can walk in financial freedom.

Lastly, when you’re evaluating who you are doing this thing for, make sure God is on your list. Do it for Him and also do it with Him. He is a fantastic business partner. I was just praying the other day and telling God how much I wish I had a business partner to be in the day to day with me and instantly I was reminded that I do have a business partner and He carries a good bit of the weight. God is an excellent partner so make sure you leave Him room.

Call A Time Out, Hit The Pause Button, & Maybe Put It On The Back Burner

I know this one may not seem to apply to every situation, but to some degree, I think it does. Walking away is a great way to re-light your fire and renew your passion for a project. So if it’s a side business you are trying to get off the ground or a project or product you are trying to launch, maybe just walk away for a bit. Distance makes the heart grow fonder! Especially if it’s a potential life partner! If you’re confused, call a timeout. Mike and I had several timeouts while dating/courting/whatever. It was actually during a timeout that I called that he decided he was ready for marriage!

If it’s a job, business or project that is weighing you down maybe this just isn’t the right time for this project. I am a total dreamer. I probably have enough dreams and goals to keep us all busy for the rest of our lives but I know (or I am learning) not every idea is meant for the current season. God will quicken your Spirit and reignite your excitement when the season for that project comes along. You may have to accept and mourn that fact but trust me His timing is so much better than ours because He sees the whole picture.

Nothing Is Too Dead For The Giver Of Life

I think this one would even apply to a marriage. This one is just a simple fact. There is nothing too dead for the giver of life. If the dream seems dead and buried and hope is a thing of the past, it’s not too dead for God and His resurrection power.

Just read Luke 11 and watch as Jesus calls His friend out of the tomb he’s been dead and rotting in for three whole days. As Lazarus walks out, you tell God that there’s no hope for your marriage because it’s been dead too long.

Read Matthew 27 and watch as the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene watch their Son, Friend, and Savior be placed in a tomb, and a stone rolled in front of it sealing the remains of their hope within it. When He rises from the dead, you tell God that bankruptcy or debt or lack of funds can keep your business dead.

You can’t! Your very life was created by dust and His breath, and you think your dream is too dead for Him? Read Ezekiel 37 and as Ezekiel and God look over the valley filled with very dry bones, bones that have been there for decades, and as God asks, “Can these bones live,” you hear Him asking you the same question regarding the dry bones and dreams of your life. As the story continues and those bones rise to create a mighty army you just try to tell God that there’s no hope for your circumstances.

I don’t think you’ll be able to, at least not wholeheartedly. There is always hope my friend. Because our God is not dead but fully alive and entirely on our side, we eternally have hope. I have four more things to consider, but this is already much longer than planned. I will continue next week with a part two.

I pray this post find just the right people at just the right time, and I pray it helps bring clarity and focus to you dear friend. If you did find this post helpful, we would love it if you’d consider sharing it out with your friends and followers. There are share buttons on the screen to make that easier. We believe in our message, and every share helps us spread that message further.

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I am so thankful I get to be a tiny part of your story and that you take the time to read and share our content. It means that world. Thanks for making my dream possible.

I’d love to continue the discussion in the comments below. What keeps you going when all you want is a nap? Now I am thinking about a nap… I love you guys, and I pray your week is blessed and full of joy!

Live blessed & be kind.