For many of us, there are life events that are so vivid, they appear in our minds as if they happened less than 24 hours ago. For me, it was a mild fall day and my youngest niece attempted to swallow a peppermint, and it got stuck in her throat, causing her to stop breathing. I was outside when I heard my sister-in-law scream. I ran inside to find my sister-in-law on the phone with 911 and my niece on the floor gasping for air with tears in her eyes, reaching out as if she could grasp the air. I got down on the floor with her and tried to push on her stomach and upper abdomen to dislodge the candy, but nothing happened. I kept trying, but still nothing. I was terrified because what I thought would work wasn't working at all.
My mother was beside me, calm but clearly aware of my desperation. I looked at her and admitted, "I'm scared." I wanted to give up and cry out with everyone else in the room, but my mother remained calm and said in a reassuring voice, "Keep going." I continued, even though I was physically and mentally exhausted, fearing I might lose my niece. Finally, she began to cough and cry out. She was breathing! Thank the Lord, she was breathing!
That fear, that urge to give up and give in, sometimes appears in the believer’s spiritual walk. As believers in Jesus, we are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but there are times when we are exhausted and we may not feel like working. Sometimes, we’re tempted to give in to our anxieties and fears.
But by God's grace, He gives us His strength to endure and abide in Christ, and we hear the Spirit, through the Word and the people of God, tell us, "Keep going." Praise God. For every Christian, God will ensure we endure. If He has justified us through Christ, He will continue to sanctify us with Christ. Keep going and keep fighting! In Jesus. Amen.
“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6