Four Reasons Not to Give Up

[Four Reasons Not to Give Up]( Current Teaching Series [Strategies for Stressful Times]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Four Reasons Not to Give Up]( By Rick Warren — 11/28/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “We don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT) If your focus is shortsighted—where you’re only thinking about your current difficulties or pain—then it’s only natural to want to give up. But if you look at things from an eternal perspective, then you’ll be able to keep going, no matter what happens. “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT). This passage gives us four reasons to stay strong emotionally and never give up: We never give up, because “our spirits are being renewed every day.” We wouldn’t dream of going a whole week without food, but some people don’t even open their Bibles for an entire week. That’s depriving our soul of the most essential nourishment it needs! If you want to renew your spirit every day, then get into God’s Word. We never give up, because “our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.” Problems don’t come to stay; they come to pass. Even if we have problems that last our entire lives, they would be miniscule compared to the trillions of years we’re going to have in heaven. We know that problems on earth are temporary and that God has long-range plans for us. We never give up, because we know our problems will “produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” God is using everything in our lives—even the hard stuff—to build our character for eternity. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV). We never give up, because we “fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.” When we’re focused on things that last forever, we’re able to finish the race because we have long-term thinking. Our attention is fixed on eternity. So, what are you focused on today? Instead of looking at your problems, start looking at Jesus again. And don’t give up! [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - Describe how you feel when you compare your current troubles to the trillions of years you’re going to spend in eternity. - What are other spiritual disciplines, besides studying the Bible, that can help you stay focused on eternity? - Read Hebrews 12:2. What is the joy set before Jesus that helped him endure? The post [Four Reasons Not to Give Up]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get the Created to Dream book when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Spend a moment watching the news and the hurt in our world overwhelms you—but the story you don’t hear is that millions are finding hope in Jesus through Daily Hope thanks to friends like you! That’s the story of hope you’ll help write in more lives through your generous GivingTuesday gift below. 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[Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller [The Purpose Driven Life](. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created [The PEACE Plan]( to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, PO Box 80448, Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688, United States