FACING THE DISEASE OF GIVE-UP-ITIS
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
There is a little man at one of the rest homes we visit weekly, his name is Bo.
I say: How are you doing Bo?
He answers: AWL, I AM HOLDING ON ---
THERE GROWS A DEADLY DISEASE --- IT IS CALLED "GIVE-UP-ITIS"
"GIVE-UP-ITIS" is a disease that strikes the heart of individuals.
Do we ever sing the HEE HAW song:
Gloom, despair, and agony on end, deep dark depression, excessive misery, if it were not
for bad luck, I'd have not luck at all, GLOOM, DESPAIR AND AGONY ON ME...
THERE GROWS A TENDANCY DURING DARK SEASONS AND TIMES OF TRIALS
TO DIE FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
We seem to know days of hopeless decline that leads us to MENTAL, EMOTIONAL,
MORAL AND THEN PHYSICAL DECAY.
IF WE LOSE HOPE, WE WILL GIVE UP AND QUIT TRYING...
Romans 15:5 (NASB) Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant
you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
Did you read Ben Patterson wrote the story about a S-4 SUBMARINE that was below the
waters of the Atlantic? The sub was off the coast of Massachusetts.
The Submarine was accidentally hit my another ship. Within minutes the SUB sank
quickly to the bottom of the ocean and the men were trapped, doomed to die.
A RESCUE SHIP WAS SENT AND DIVERS MADE EVERY EFFORT POSSIBLE TO
SAVE THE MEN TRAPPED IN THE COLD WATER BELOW.
Many hours of furious labor followed and the divers tried their best to HELP THE
NAVY SUB'S MEN ESCAPE.
No release was possible. One diver heard a PECKING ON THE SUB'S METAL
EXTERIOR... He got close and release the TAPPING WAS MORRIS CODE...
SLOWLY A MESSAGE COULD BE READ FROM THE TAPPING:
THE TAPPING WAS A QUESTION OVER AND OVER ---
IS ------- THERE -------- ANY ------- HOPE? IS-----THERE -----ANY ----- HOPE?
Ben Patterson, The Grand Essentials
THE BATTLES OF LIFE CAN REALLY EXIST IN THE MIND ---
THERE ARE TWO ATTITUDES:
1. I CAN:
I can make it. I can wait: UNTIL MY TIME COMES...
This problem is an opportunity.
Some day, some way --- I AM GOING TO MAKE IT...
They dream, they have visions, they see beyond this obstacle.
2. JUST GIVE UP AND QUIT:
Better people than me have tried and did not make it...
I am forever trapped.
They see the problems and accept this as a norm.
2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which
hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
2 Thessalonians 2:16 (NASB) Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father,
who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
THERE ARE THREE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF CHRISTIAN SURVIVAL...
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest
of these is charity.
These 3 elements combine and MAKE A SURVIVAL TEAM, a RESCUE TEAM...
1. FAITH; 2. HOPE; and 3. LOVE...
These are BASIC and FUNDAMENTAL elements essential to build of the Christian life.
Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a
man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an
answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness
and fear:
HOPE IS AN ANCHOR!
Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we
might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set
before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil;
Hebrews 6:18 (NASB) so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for
God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the
hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and
steadfast and one which enters within the veil,
DAVID WAS A HOPE GIVER --- HE PLAYED MUSIC FOR THE KING AND COMFORTED
HIM WHEN HE WAS UPSET --- BUT DAVID WOULD HAVE TO REACH DOWN INTO
HIS OWN WELL OF HOPE.
DAVID'S HARP AND MUSIC GAVE HOPE...
The music calmed and comforted...
2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and
lay all night upon the earth. 17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise
him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David
feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive,
we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself,
if we tell him that the child is dead? 19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David
perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead?
And they said, He is dead. 20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed
himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped:
then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he
did eat. 21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou
didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst
rise and eat bread. 22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said,
Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him,
but he shall not return to me. 24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her,
and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
BARNABAS WAS KNOWN AS THE SON OF CONSOLATION --- A HOPE GIVER...
Acts 4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being
interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
Acts 4:36 (NASB) Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas
by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement),
JESUS IS THE CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL...
ACCEPT THE INVITATION TO COME TO HIM
Jesus can give consolation and comfort today and through out eternity.
Jesus loves and accepts ALL PEOPLE that will hear the INVITATION: COME ONTO ME.
A BELIEVER CAN BE HAPPY IN SICKNESS OR HEALTH, FOR BETTER FOR WORSE...
RESEARCH MAY SUGGEST THAT A PERSON GIVEN TO HOPEFUL ATTITUDES
CAN LEAD TO MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL CHANGES THAT CAN HELP BUILD
YOUR STRENGTH AND IMPROVE YOUR AUTO-IMMUNE SYSTEM TO FIGHT
OFF DISEASE...
We have a LIVING HOPE, A LIVELY HOPE, A HOPE THAT IS NOT WEAK AND FRAIL.
OUR HOPE IS NOT PERISHABLE...
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead,
We have an hope of eternal life and of HIS BLESSED RETURN...
ARE YOU A HOPE GIVER? DO YOU OPTISIMISTICLY GIVE HOPE?
JESUS WANTS YOU TO GIVE THE OFFERING OF HOPE TO HIM AND TO HIS
PEOPLE.
CONCLUSION:
I have been told of this wonderful painting simply entitled HOPE.
G.F. WATT painted this picture of a very poor, seemingly broken woman that was blind
and had patches over her eyes. She could see nothing but darkness.
She has a beautiful harp in her hand, but one can see EVERY STRING on the harp is broken
BUT ONE...
All the broken tattered string represent all her crushed and broken dreams.
She could have been angry, bitter and disappointed, but SHE STILL HAD ONE STRING
ON HER HARP.
THAT ONE UNBROKEN STRING REPRESENTS THE HOPE THAT WAS STILL ALIVE.
SHE PLUCKS THAT ONE STRING AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MUSIC FLOATS
AROUND THE WHOLE WORLD... HER DARKNESS IS FLOODED BY THE LIGHT OF
THE MOON AND THE STARS.
G.F. WATT WANTED TO TELL THE WORLD THAT WHEN EVERYTHING YOU DREAMED
IS DASHED TO PIECES... YOU CAN STILL HAVE HOPE!
THE ONE STRING LEFT ON THE INSTRUTMENT
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
