I Give Up

 

I give up! But, help is on the way!

I remember playing "hide and go seek" and I reached the point where I threw up my hands and declared, "That's it -- I give up!"

Those were kids' games -- but I have probably said those three words more times than I'd like to admit. Usually after trying to fix a problem, solve a mystery, find a missing password, or assemble something with "easy-to-follow instructions" that apparently were written in another language.

One day, frustrated and out of answers, I dropped into a chair and declared defeat. "I give up!"

But as I sat there feeling sorry for myself, something began to change. Hope started bubbling to the surface.

Instead of saying, "I give up," I found myself praying, "Jesus, I surrender."

What a difference one word makes.

The world tells us to try harder, push further, and never quit. So we keep striving, worrying, fixing, controlling, and carrying loads that were never ours to carry.

Before long, we're hanging onto the end of our rope with both hands -- and sometimes our teeth.

God offers a better way.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Notice that God never asks us to carry everything ourselves. He simply asks us to bring it to Him.

Giving up says, "Nothing can be done."
Surrender says, "God, I trust You to do what I cannot."

One leads to despair.
The other leads to peace.

When we surrender, we release our need to know the why, when, and how. We place our worries into the hands of the One who sees the end from the beginning.

So if you're feeling overwhelmed today, don't sit at the end of your rope. Hand the rope to Jesus.
Then rest beneath His mighty hand.

Help is on the way. Hope is already rising. And the God Who cares for you is working, even now.

Sometimes the greatest victory begins when we stop saying, "I give up," and start saying, "Lord, I surrender!"