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What to Do When All You Want to Do Is Quit

by | 77 comments

What to Do When All You Want to Do Is Quit

The desert.

Leif and I have been committed to thrive in Salt Lake City for more than a month now.

The heat. The dryness. The dust.

Though we are guests in our friend’s home surrounded by lush vegetation and vibrant flower petals, we are not tricked. We abide in a desert.

Whenever you’re thrust into a desert—geographically, professionally, spiritually, mentally—you learn new skills. I’m becoming convinced, even in our short time here, that the desert is one of the most stunning, beautiful, growth-prone areas we’ve ever lived.

Even when your nose is chalky sunburnt.

Even when your lips crack.

Even when you lose your way.

Even when you want to give up.

As followers of Jesus, we are meant to do more than survive the desert, we are meant to thrive in the desert. But how?

To continue reading, pick up a copy of Flourish: Live Loved, Live Fearless, Live Free, a 52-week devotional with coloring pages sprinkled throughout.

Flourish Devo

What would a flourishing life look like for you? Take a moment and imagine…

Instead of surviving your days, you savor each moment. You pour into the lives of others, and it’s a joy, not a chore. And every hour, you are deeply, dazzling aware of God’s love and presence.

God intends this flourishing life for you. And it can start today.

Grab a copy today.

77 Comments

  1. Brandi Luiz
    Brandi Luiz on October 21, 2015 at 6:46 am

    In the desert, the quiet, unrushed stillness gives room for Jesus to speak. To have a quiet head and heart that begs to hear His voice, that leads me to His ever open arms of Love and Grace.

  2. Janis Cox
    Janis Cox on October 21, 2015 at 8:16 am

    I think my morning times are my desert, if I don’t get online. It is a time of peace, reflection, and reconnection to God. We need the emptiness to let Christ enter.
    Great post. We just moved to our winter home in Arizona. So it will remind me of the need to be dry and thirsty. Got to get a drink of water.
    Blessings,
    Janis

  3. Gail Peacock
    Gail Peacock on October 21, 2015 at 8:54 am

    I used to think that when I wound up in the desert, it is because I took a wrong turn. All I could think about was how to get out of this place because certainly I must’ve done something wrong. And I saw that when Jesus was in the wilderness, it was because the Spirit led Him there– no wrong turns, not a mistake…. I am seeing it that way for me to now. I don’t always like it, but I don’t just rush to get out of it either. In reality, I guess this whole life is a desert, a wilderness—to see what is in my heart. The promised land is my hope to come

  4. Elisa
    Elisa on October 21, 2015 at 9:25 am

    Last year was a dessert time for me. I was laid off from my job and people I trusted betrayed me. It was brutal at times. But it was also a time of rest and healing, a time of drawing closer to the Lord. This year I have a new job. I am loved here. And when things get tough (which they are), I have learned to lean into the Lord instead of panicking.

  5. Alison Bradley
    Alison Bradley on October 21, 2015 at 9:42 am

    My desert moments have taught me that Jesus doesn’t waste pain or uncertainty or messes. He uses all of them to tell a beautiful story. I get to decide if I want to trust him to be part of that story, even when it doesn’t make sense from my peephole in the fence.

  6. Jenn
    Jenn on October 21, 2015 at 3:29 pm

    Yes, this. Beautiful.

  7. Jenn
    Jenn on October 21, 2015 at 3:32 pm

    The desert times have taught me just how uh God values our free will. He wants us to love and choose Him freely, and sometimes that freedom comes at great cost.

  8. Samantha
    Samantha on October 22, 2015 at 10:13 am

    That Jesus is the Master Desert Dweller and is always with me.

  9. Christine
    Christine on October 22, 2015 at 10:36 am

    This topic was exactly how I was feeling just when I opened my email. There are so many life events that happen. Regular normal breaking of things, people and pets getting sick, major home expenses, sometimes being a mom and working and doing it all for my kids gets to be such a big mountain and it is so hard. Your writing about quitting and Jesus time in the dessert brings me back again to how I keep going and keep climbing. He is always with me, He loves me unconditionally for what I do good and bad, and He has a plan for me. For each thing I am able to learn from, I want to be able to grow and use that as I work with others in youth ministry and mission work. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel impossible or heartbreaking. But knowing He is there lets me know I am not alone

  10. Rhonda Smith
    Rhonda Smith on October 22, 2015 at 10:41 am

    Dessert moments for me just make me long to touch the hem of His garment, and have Him turn to me and say “thy faith has made thee whole.” So many of my dessert moments are spent in isolation, believing Jesus is the ONLY one who can lift me out of the dessert. He can bring healing that quickly to my body and soul.

  11. Mona
    Mona on October 22, 2015 at 11:02 am

    The desert has given me the strengthening faith that has carried me through so many trials. It renews my focus and helps me to see God in a way that I didn’t before I wandered in the desert. It brings such clarity and truth about me and my weaknesses as well as my strengths.

  12. Sharron
    Sharron on October 22, 2015 at 11:41 am

    My husband and I have been in our desert for almost 2 years. We are learning that God truly is the great I AM. He is all we need. He will meet our daily needs. He is our Peace.

  13. Sue Olson
    Sue Olson on October 22, 2015 at 11:55 am

    That He loves me…even me and that His Word is for me…even me. He comes to meet me…even me…even in the desert….especially in the desert.

  14. Stephanie
    Stephanie on October 22, 2015 at 11:56 am

    I’m learning (or more aptly, being reminded) that He alone is the living water. I can seek relief from my “thirst” in all sorts of places, but only He can satisfy, heal, and provide direction.

  15. Elizabeth
    Elizabeth on October 22, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    Deserts are teaching me that Jesus loves me. Not anything I try to add on to make myself more lovable but just me.

  16. Lee Merrill
    Lee Merrill on October 22, 2015 at 12:20 pm

    This desert I find myself in is showing me that what I thought would kill me won’t. That God is enough. That He has much more to do in me.

  17. Susan Cotten
    Susan Cotten on October 22, 2015 at 12:25 pm

    This last year, and still now, is a desert. A neck injury, resulting in chronic neck pain sent me into a depression 2 year ago. This last year, loss of my 17 year job, my mom was killed, and my new husband of 3 years said he wasn’t in it for better or worse, and wanted a divorce. So often I’ve wanted to quit, for Jesus to take me home just remove me from all of this… Digging deep, and with the encouragement and support of a couple of friends and my daughter, decided to ask God, what. What am I to learn, what do you want or me in all of this, instead of asking, why… why is all of this happening. He has, and is, showing me that not only is He enough, He is more than enough. Sanctification is not an easy road. Jesus is the strength of my life, provider, friend, comforter, counselor, savior, He is everything, just as the Bible says. His word is true, He is faithful, and will never leave us or forsake us.

  18. Sara
    Sara on October 22, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    In my desert place Jesus is teaching me to rely on Him for the skills I need to perform a job I do not feel qualified for but some how called to do at this time.

  19. Dea
    Dea on October 22, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    I was in the literal desert for the first time earlier this year. I was surprised by the beauty. We drove from Phoenix to Durango. I once imagined the desert to be monotonous place to be but there a haunting beauty there that is hard to describe; the landscape changed and the colors too. I think Jesus’ victory in the desert has become our victory, those of us who have received his life by his grace and mercy. When I go into the desert, I know I’m not going where He has not gone already.

  20. Bonnie Adler
    Bonnie Adler on October 22, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    When I have been there in the desert, just knowing Jesus is there with me and for me, and He is waiting to pour on me His Living Water.

  21. Laurie Geuther
    Laurie Geuther on October 22, 2015 at 1:58 pm

    I think He uses desert time in my life to lessen my grip on the things that normally bring me comfort and security and instead grow my roots deeper into Him. It’s when I have nothing else to hang onto, that He truly becomes my Savior.

  22. Carol
    Carol on October 22, 2015 at 2:10 pm

    The desert has taught me that even though everything there feels wrong, Jesus knows what He is doing in placing us in desert surroundings.

  23. Jeannie
    Jeannie on October 22, 2015 at 2:52 pm

    I find that it causes me to Cling in prayer to God and His documented promises.

  24. Kathy
    Kathy on October 22, 2015 at 4:20 pm

    When I am in a desert place, I find it impossible to survive without total trust in the Lord. I went through a horrendous divorce which nearly destroyed my health. Finally, after hitting rock bottom, I turned my heart to the Lord. He alone gave me strength and hope for the upcoming years. I found the verse in Jeremiah 29:11 to hang on. The fact He would be there to give me a future and hope made fear and discouragement diminish and disappear.

  25. Lucy H
    Lucy H on October 22, 2015 at 6:55 pm

    The desert or wilderness has been a sacred echo in my life s the Lord has brought me to this place so many, many times. It seems each time I learn something new about Jesus. I have learned I do not live by bread alone; He will not forsake me; I can depend on Him fully.

    I can’t say I like being brought here even now after so many journeys. But, I have come to appreciate the solitude and stark beauty and mostly I have learned to pray…Lord, what is it you want me to learn…much sooner than I used to!

  26. Kim G.
    Kim G. on October 22, 2015 at 10:15 pm

    One of my very favorite devotional books is “Streams in the Desert.” It often reminds me that it is Jesus who brings life into my dry, barren soul! Being in His presence restores and refreshes me! What a wonderful Savior!

  27. Jenn Hale
    Jenn Hale on October 22, 2015 at 10:32 pm

    My recent desert moments have taught me that Jesus is actually what I need more of.

  28. Kristina Schwende
    Kristina Schwende on October 23, 2015 at 2:32 am

    I really appreciate your outlook Gail. It has given me a new perspective on my desert wanderings. God bless ?

  29. Kristina Schwende
    Kristina Schwende on October 23, 2015 at 2:49 am

    My desert wanderings have been marked by every struggle you listed. My chronic health issues began in 2008. The first few years were excruciating and terrifying. I did everything I could to get my body and my life back to “normal”. But one night when I was on the floor sobbing from the pain, II heard God say so clearly “Get on your knees before you have no choice”. But I still kept fighting to get through my desert on MY terms! Then, a few months later, once again sobbing from the pain, I heard God say “What is it going to take for you to trust Me?” What really got my attention was that I could FEEL the anguish in His words! Thus began my journey of discovery. I’m still wandering in the desert now when I look back, I see God’s Hand and the lessons He has taught me, and I’m grateful beyond measure! I’m still in a very long season of isolation, health challenges, family crises, etc. but I’m not as scared as I was. I now know that I’m not wandering through the desert alone. I’m being led by Jesus and I’m learning to trust His plan – No matter how difficult or scary it may seem initially.

  30. Sophia
    Sophia on October 23, 2015 at 9:29 am

    In the desert places, I learn to sit tight and wait. It is in the stillness that I learn what and who matters most. It is there that I find refreshment and renewal and closeness to my Savior. All the other distractions seem to fall away and I am able to prioritize more carefully. It is a watering of the soul time.

  31. melissa
    melissa on October 23, 2015 at 9:41 am

    The desert is a place of quiet. Quiet is hard for me but necessary. Barreness is part of life but can feel personal and mean but it is not. It is just another season. I love to embrace and enjoy the rich and full seasons but resist the dry and barren. I learn that they are each seasons to rest on but not to expect because I have not been promised only the good.

  32. Eric
    Eric on October 26, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    My desert comes from years of experience trying to place my hope in everything but Jesus… and then realizing none of it delivers! New, expensive stuff gets old, people disappoint me, and I disappoint myself. Jesus is the only eternal hope that can replace all the dissatisfaction that life can bring.

  33. zina
    zina on November 24, 2015 at 2:24 am

    I learned that HE is still at work! Doing the most important and painful thing for me – helping my roots grow deeper. Learned about how sinful I am. And that I lack understanding about GRACE and unconditional love. ADN trust! Need to trust Him again and again.

  34. zina
    zina on November 24, 2015 at 2:24 am

    I learned that HE is still at work! Doing the most important and painful thing for me – helping my roots grow deeper. Learned about how sinful I am. And that I lack understanding about GRACE and unconditional love. AND trust! Need to trust Him again and again.

  35. zina
    zina on November 24, 2015 at 2:28 am

    I learned about me – how sinful I am. I learned that I lack understating about what GRACE and unconditional love. That God is doing the most important job in this time – growing my roots more deeper…though more painful! I also need to trust him again and again.

  36. Jade Heggli
    Jade Heggli on November 24, 2015 at 10:58 am

    …that He is always there, always knowing, always able.

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