Today's reading

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. –Romans 8:28 NIV

January 5, 2024

We’re Not Quitters

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. –Romans 8:28 NIV

Every day we face challenges, such as fear vs. faith, anger vs. forgiveness, depression vs. joy, or hopelessness vs. perseverance. Plus, we will all have people in life who simply do not like us, whether they are family, friends, coworkers, or strangers. This can really hurt because we probably want everyone to like us. We puff up at compliments and crumble under criticism. We allow bad moments to turn into a bad day. We allow careless words, spoken in haste, to overshadow all the kind words that went before and after them. 

So, what are we to do? Pull the sheets over our heads and wallow in defeat? No! There will never be a shortage of unkind people. We will have enemies, and we will be criticized. So what? What about all the great things in our lives? What about the people who love us and the hundreds of things we do amazingly well every day? 

I love the fact that every morning when we wake up—no matter how we feel, no matter how things look—there’s Someone who thinks we’re awesome. We may not like ourselves, but God loves us. He’s always in our corner; and if we’ll let Him, He’ll turn our day around for good. We’re not quitters—we’re conquerors.

prayer focuses

Pray for the ability to grow stronger through challenges, not weaker.

Confess, “I AM more than a conqueror” (see Romans 8:37).

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about the

Author

Brenda Beattie

Brenda Beattie is a retired letter carrier and an active Chaplain for the USPS. She and her husband retired to Bradenton because they loved their church, Bayside Community Church. She has self-published two books, "Finding Sacred Ground In The Daily Grind," and "The Case Of The Missing Letter." She is also a repeat author for "Chicken Soup For The Soul." Her articles appear monthly in the "Mountaineer," a postal publication. Her hearts desire is to encourage and to give hope.