Never, never, never give in or give up

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live long, live well”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, since we also have such a large crowd of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Never, never, never give in or give up”

This morning, I want us to continue thinking about our topic from yesterday about never giving up. Winston Churchill was known to be irascible, hard-boiled, and difficult. He was also often caustic in his manner, and he had a drinking problem. But the man was tough and courageous. He is most famous for serving as the Prime Minister of Great Britian during World War II. He successfully shepherded the country through the darkest days of the war and eventually on to victory.

In 1941, just as the war was intensifying and it looked like the Nazi war machine was unstoppable, and many in Great Britian feared that they might be conquered by Hitler, Churchill gave a speech intended to rally the nation. The most famous line in that speech was, “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in … Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

Churchill inspired his nation to stand strong in the face of adversity, and eventually, after years of fighting, led them to victory. Likewise, I have had the privilege of knowing other people like that. My late wife Linda was one. We raised four children – the oldest two with significant disabilities. I had a busy and demanding career in the Navy and was gone much of the time, so Linda carried most of the load at home. As a couple we adopted a saying that we would repeat to each other often. When times were tough, we would look at each other and say something like, “This is hard, but that’s okay because we are resilient people.”

That mindset became especially significant for us in 2007 when Linda had a major stroke that almost took her life. Once we realized the extent of her disabilities, we also realized how significantly our lives were going to have to change. One day in the hospital she squeezed my hand and said, “Jim, we’re going to be okay. We are resilient people.” That was her attitude and because of that, she lived over sixteen more years. She just refused to give up.

I had a friend named Leon who had terminal cancer. But he was determined to fight it and to live as long as he could because, “I want every day on this earth that I can have with my wife, my children, and my friends.” Leon suffered, but he also lived. And despite the suffering, he enjoyed every day he had with his family and friends, right up until the end. He fought for life and he refused to give up.

I have known many other people who are physically large (tall and big-boned), and who therefore have struggled with weight problems their entire lives. But they continue to do their best, through diet and exercise, to maintain the best physical health they can. Again, a good attitude and refusing to give up is everything.

When it comes to staying as healthy as you can for as long as you can I join with Winston Churchill in encouraging you to, “Never, never, never, give in or give up.”

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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