The Disease Of "Give-Up-Itis"

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