Faith & Inspiration

Never Give Up

By Kelli Beaucage

In this technologically advanced age, one would expect that we would not only be living longer lives, but much happier ones also. Yet a closer look at the average family today reveals an altogether different story. Many are unhappy, unfulfilled and lonely. Some are so discouraged that they have given up hope.

I believe one of the main reasons many people give up on life is they lack a sense of purpose. The Bible tells us that we are here for a reason and God Himself has placed within us the desire for significance.

That's why children find it so easy to have great and grandiose dreams of what they want to do when they grow up. Yet so often, as they mature to adulthood, the realities of life cause those dreams to shatter. Hurts and bitterness cloud the bright and vibrant aspirations of childhood. It may be a divorce crushing the dream of having a "perfect" marriage. It may the loss of physical health. It may be failures or tragedies. These experiences diminish our expectations, leaving behind a sense of emptiness, disappointment and futility.

At this point, we are faced with choices that will ultimately define our future.

Leave the Past Behind

I know what it's like to grieve over broken dreams. One such trial came just this past year when I realized that after eight years of holding onto a diseased uterus, it was no longer wise to avoid having surgery. As I stood at the crossroads of making this decision, the unfulfilled dream of motherhood slipped through my hands like sand. I felt as though I would drown in sea of emptiness, disappointment and discouragement.

Still, I knew the choice I had to make. My dreams of motherhood had to remain in the past; it was time for me to move on.

We have no control over some of the things that happen to us. We can, however, control what happens in us. We all have choices. We can either choose to live in the hurts and pain, or we can choose to go on, rising above the circumstances and believing that God is so much greater than anything we've ever experienced. We can choose to leave the past in the past and let God guide us into a better future.

Enter - God!

I know from personal experience that if we open up the barren areas of our lives to God, the brightness of hope for the future will surpass anything negative from the past. Repeatedly, the Bible exhorts us to forget what lies behind, and to go for what lies ahead of us. There's a new day waiting for you. Refuse to let your past dictate your future. Include Jesus in your journey, and you will find that you have so much to look forward to.

Enjoy Each Day

Disappointments will cross your path in the future. Every day brings its share of challenges. Still, we can choose to enjoy each day as it comes, purposing not to dwell on the things we can't change. As our attitude towards life changes, we tap into a deep God-given joy. Hope re-ignites in our hearts, and we begin to dream again. This joy, hope and vision carries us through difficult times as we allow God to take us forward - never looking back and never giving up!

Kelli Beaucage is a freelance writer and ordained minister. She and her husband, Leonard, pastor a church in Saskatchewan, Canada. If you would like to interact with her about this article, e-mail: Len & Kelli Beaucage bfordsvictory@sasktel.net

Do you know God personally? Read:
Peace with God

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