“LOSE HEART” – QUITTING POINTS Luke introduces the parable of the unjust judge by stating its intended purpose beforehand: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). Jesus tells this parable because he knows that his disciples will be tempted to lose heart along the way. The term lose heart means to give up, give in, or give out because of weariness, frustration, or discouragement. It is spiritual burnout that causes ones faith to become faint. The temptation to give up is real and powerful and unavoidable. Every person will inevitably face quitting points in life. It does not matter how long you have walked with the Lord, how much Scripture you know, or how deep your level of devotion to the Lord is. Be on your guard. You are not immune to losing heart. All of us will face quitting points at some time or another. There are personal quitting points. They appear when you feel like you have given all you can give or that you have taken all you can take. You are at wits end. You are crushed by the straw that broke the camels back. There are relational quitting points. They occur when someone you care about brings you to the point of exasperation. Your relationship is more than strained. Its broken. You feel like you cannot go any further with this person. There are moral quitting points. They loom ahead when doing wrong seems to pay so well and doing right seems to cost too much. Without a doubt, life constantly offers you moral shortcuts. And they can seem very inviting when the pressure is on. Finally, there are spiritual quitting points. These will tempt you when you feel like giving up on God. We all face quitting points. The questions are: What do you do when you are tempted to lose heart? Is there any counsel from the Lord to face those times when you feel like giving up? The answer: always to pray and not lose heart. Key Study Passage: Luke 18:1-8 Adapted from “It Happens After Prayer” by H. B. Charles Jr. (Moody, 2013) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. WB Journal
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 08:14:24 +0000
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