I’m done…I give up
What exactly is going through your mind as you find yourself staring at the wine cabinet again? Maybe you think there’s hope & rest on the other side of those bottles. Maybe you’re sick and tired of all the pain & discouragement you’re experiencing day…after day…after torturous day. You just want it all to stop. You just want it all to go away. You’d rather be numb to the pain and disconnected from consequence, or guilt, or shame.
Maybe you’re emotionally exhausted. You’ve been fighting and fighting for so long you can’t even remember why you’re fighting. What started out as a seemingly honorable quest has turned into a tangled mess of mental and physical fatigue. And now…you simply want to escape.
The fight is no longer worth it. Living up to everyone’s expectations; believing the lies you keep telling yourself; it’s just not working anymore. It no longer matters what people think. It’s time they see the real you. You’re not all put together. Your shoulders aren’t that broad. You’ve decided you’re just gonna quit and give up. You’re gonna unplug. You’re gonna…escape.
The Truth
…but the truth is, you’ve been down that road already. You know better than anyone how that fairy tale ends because you’ve been there. Captain Morgan’s escape is at best temporary, and at worst, leaves you devoid of the mental capacity to make coherent decisions. So…if you reach for the captain’s hand and follow him down that road again, you know you’re just going to regain consciousness right where you left off…or maybe you won’t regain consciousness at all.
Vaguely Familiar
There is a different road. One that maybe you haven’t been down yet. Or maybe it’s just been a really long time since you’ve been down it. This road is a bit different. It’s not one that you can travel in your own strength. It’s not even one that you can travel while standing. No…success on this road starts with you on your knees. When was the last time you cried to God in true and honest desperation? When was the last time you admitted to Him that if He didn’t give you the strength, you wouldn’t be able to go on. He longs for you to pour out your heart to Him. He longs to surround you with his powerful wings (Ps. 17:7-9). He desires for you to be completely controlled by His Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
Hard…not Hopeless
This road will still be difficult. Christ has already taught/shown us that it will take blood, sweat, and tears (literally). If we take this road, we will learn to expect hardship. We will learn to expect difficulty. And we will learn the humility of not being able to traverse this road in our own strength. And therein lies a beautiful truth; that although this road is difficult, it is far from hopeless.
Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
