What to do When You Want to Quit

​Is it worth all the work?
How much difference does it make?

He's discouraged as his church continues to decline.
She's frustrated by the people she helped; they returned her generosity with resentment.  
He poured his heart out for a friend in need and it seemed to make no difference.

What do you do when you want to quit?  
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"Even if I knew that tomorrow the whole world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."                        -  Martin Luther

Plant a tree.  It's not easy, but it's worth it.  Few people are willing to plant because it takes:




Time

There is no quick fix, no speedy return on investment.  Are you willing to labor for fruit that you may never taste?  Are you willing to work for results that will sprout decades or generations later?
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Selflessness

No profit.  No pride.  I'm the nameless farmer who labors for a harvest I may never see.  My investment of time and resources - my investment in people - is not about me.  

Faith

Growth is a tenuous proposition.  Soil and weather are fickle.  Will I stick to my God-given task in a drought?  

Faith stares down a wilting plant and declares, "God will not forsake!"

Present conditions often discourage us from planting.  "It will never take."  "It's too much work."  "He/she is not worth the effort."  

Thank God that someone planted in a previous day.  Thank God for investments made in perilous seasons.  Thank God for fathers and mothers who've gone before us in faith.

Today is our orchard.  Now is our time.  We are farmers of supernatural fields.  We yearn for more trees and more fruit.

God, give us prolific plenty.

". . . the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how."  (Mark 4:27)

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