Never Give Up! You Are Unstoppable!

In recent times, I’ve read in the national and international dailies and I have even seen some of my friends drift in and out of depression because of the overwhelming burden at their workplace, what COVID-19 has caused them and fact that they have slim chances of pulling through.

Few weeks ago, a colleague reached out to me because he is depressed. I mean, damn ‘suicidally’ depressed and the depression is not from any other source other than work-related issues.

Over the years, I’ve watched some of my friends took turns to fall sick because everyone is worn-out. Sometimes, I see some of my friends working vigorously with real health issues that need to be attended to but they will neglect it because they are pushing to meet up with work-related demands and because employers or supervisors are not being nice too.

Are you on the verge of giving up or thinking of committing suicide because things are not working as planned? Are you frustrated or depressed because of what’s happening around you? Or do you feel you’re getting old without significant accomplishments to point at?

If you answer yes to those questions; I urge you to relax, and read the next few paragraphs of this post and see why you should never give up. It wouldn’t take you more than 3 minutes to read.

Permit me to start with the story of Jacob in the Bible.

Jacob was an old man when his son Joseph was taken to Egypt. His boy Joseph had been his dream. Now it looked like Jacob’s dream had been truncated. But in Genesis 45, we see that his spirit was revived when he got to know Joseph was still alive! The old man got his dream back in his old age when his son was made “Chief Adviser to Pharaoh and lord for all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

Are you aware that Moses was eighty years old when he got his assignment, and Caleb was 85 when God gave him his mountain?

If anybody could have retired comfortably, it would have been Father Abraham. He was wealthy, with vast herds of cattle and sheep. Abraham no doubt had at least a thousand servants. But then God came knocking. God told him to leave a comfortable place of abode, leave everything behind, and take off on a journey to somewhere he has never been to. I am sure his wife must have wondered about his sanity: “Honey, shey you know this place represents your life’s work sha? What do you mean we are going to start living in tents? I mean, TENTS o! By the way, where are we going?” Abraham possibly responded, “Even me self no know.” You know women nah, they are inquisitive and thorough in their approach to issues. Abraham’s wife may have asked him, “What do you mean you ‘don’t know’? You better think twice, else..!”

Just like Abraham, there will come a time when you too will have to remove yourself from the safe, predictable place or comfort zone. I mean, the place you know is a sure thing, where you could keep on happily doing the same thing for the rest of your life.  However, God may have entirely different plans for you. Don’t doubt him, listen to his leading.

See, life will either bury you or bless you. It depends on what you do. Will you persevere like Abraham, who eventually became the Father of All Nations? When you get dirt thrown on you, will you turn it into fertilizer and keep growing? When the dirt starts to rain down on you, shake it off, step on it, and go to higher ground. Ok?

Sometimes when you are on the verge of a breakthrough, it is even more important to keep going.

Too many people give up when they are right on the edge of another level.

Instead of turning back, you need to say to yourself: “I am too close to back up now.

Realize how the enemy works against you. It is like the Devil calling a board meeting and asking all his chief demons: “You, what is our greatest weapon against this person?” Some demons may suggest  lust or greed or the usual vices. And then one of them could say: “Our greatest weapon against him is discouragement.” Let’s use it on him again, he will fall for it.

Friends, discouragement is what the Devil uses to make you quit, especially before you are about to run through the finish line.

When next you are discouraged, do not quit. All it means is that the Devil is so desperate to stop you that he has sent his most powerful weapon – discouragement to ‘torture’ you.

Like Jacob, Moses and Father Abraham, you are never too old, and it is never too late for God to do a new thing in your life. It is not too late to achieve your goals this year and beyond.