Never Quit

2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

A couple days ago my friend Jim Spivey wrote in his blog, “… he asked, ‘Jim, how do you keep walking?’”

You see Jim’s life is dedicated to walking with others in and out of their greatest needs… to be a reflection of Christ as he says. And in this, not only do his own life’s problems come to bare on his soul, but the problems of the hundreds he ministers too as well. How can he subject himself to that?

How can any of us subject ourselves to life?

A friend of mine often says, “Life is hard, wear a helmet.” And life is hard, but hardwired into us from God is this desire to never quit. Oh sure some do quit. Some quit with suicide, some quit with dropping out of society. But if we all will keep walking we will come to that moment of God’s glory that changes our soul eternally.

Do you think life is easy? Do you think ANYONE goes unchallenged in finances, or relationships, or health? Is there a place in Christ where any of us are immune, and no longer need to wear the helmet?

I will assure you not.

For me, many of you know that the struggle God has chosen to shape my soul is financial. I have not closed a loan in a month, and now find myself $3800 short of covering the monthly bills. It has me stressed out, and to say otherwise would be a lie. Now I can call my “dad” and borrow the money, or I can wait on the next glory of my DAD in heaven. I wait on God and His glory. (or at least try to) And it is not just me who need the next glory, the next shinning of God’s face in our blinded spirit.

I know a Pastor whose son is being held in jail on a charge of attempted murder. There’s a pair of men who need the next shinning of God’s glory. My friend Jeff experienced God’s glory when the doctor’s announced his cancer was in remission, but I will promise you it seemed a thousand miles away as he walked out the healing. My friend Mark has cancer… he needs God’s glory. My friend Dana has blood and bone marrow cancer… he needs God’s glory, and what of his children. My nephews and niece lost their father at 50… but they have been seeing God’s glory time and time again since. Glory that reminds them their Dad is in a perfect place, and God is in control of their lives. Anne has a disease that causes her eyes to burst, and yes it is as painful as it sounds… she needs God’s next glory. Can you imagine have to have your eye repeatedly stitched back together?

My friend Gary (a Pastor) is in an epic struggle of family, and for his very soul. I cry because these are my friends, but I laugh at the insignificance of being short $3800.

My friend Bob was desperate for God to heal his blindness, but man did it with surgery. Is this a spiritual crisis of faith, or is this God’s next glory?

I think Laura will tell you of God’s glory in her remission of colon cancer. But what of the woman I spoke with the other day who is about to lose her home, and desperate to know what the future holds for her. Do I tell her we don’t get to see the future, only a blurring image of the past when we arrive at God’s next glory?

Of the many quotes Jim used in his blog this one stands out to me.

“’Now shall I walk or shall I ride?’

‘Ride,’ Pleasure then said;

‘Walk,’ Joy replied.”

-          W.H. Davis

We walk because joy anchors our soul. We walk because we know God’s next glory is coming. It is ok to despise the shame of the walk, just keep walking… never quit. God’s glory is not in the destination, God’s glory in all along the path. If you stop walking, or try to ride to the next destination you will miss the glory.