DON"T QUIT!

As I have previously stated in my blog, I am going through a study called the Mind of Christ. In addition to lists that make you face yourself, we are supposed to memorize scripture for each unit. I have been shocked in the past week how different my day goes if I carry the scripture in my heart with me. Why am I really all that shocked? It is after all, the spoken and inspired word of God, that should be pretty life changing if nothing else is. When I memorize the Word, I have time to meditate on it, and think deeply about what it means. I find my thoughts become thoughts of scripture, and not the others things that normally possess my brain during the waking hours of this life. My verse for this week is James 3:17:

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere."

We so often overlook scripture memory. My challenge to you is to memorize a passage this week. Maybe you could pick this one, and meditate on the characteristics of wisdom from heaven, and what it means in your life. Also, how it should play out in your life.

I titled this entry "DON'T QUIT!" because it is the embodiment of the message that I needed to hear, and need to still hear so often here in Korea. I recently finished listening to some talks by a pastor from Tennessee named Brian Loritz (sp?), he is a phenomenal communicator of the Word. In his last talk that I listened to, he brought up runners block. When you are running a marathon, your body gets runners block, it starts to yell at you and say, "stop, this hurts!" and you have to press on through the voice in your head. He related this to our spiritual lives, he said some of us have runners block right now. Everything within us is saying this hurts, stop now! We have to press on through this. That is why we have the Holy Spirit. He is here to yell back, "DON'T QUIT!" There are many times where I have wanted to give up on my year in Korea and pull out. Matter of fact, I dream about it at times, but then I heard this talk. It was like God was in the room yelling, "DON'T QUIT!" so I am not quitting. I am here until the 12 months is up or longer if that is what God asks. I feel like a load has been lifted and there is much more joy in my life since making this concious decision. Let me encourage you right now wherever you are, if life hurts and is hard, "DON'T QUIT!"