From 1939 to 1945, Europe was engaged in the second world war. By the time it ended, it is estimated that 60 million people died. However, of those 60 million, 40 million are thought to be civilians who died as victims of war including those who perished in the concentration camps, at Normandy, in Pearl Harbor, and Hiroshima.
In those six years, England experienced firsthand the effects of war as German airplanes repeatedly bombed the cities of Britain and terrified an entire nation. There were moments in which many in England thought of giving up and giving in. There was genuine fear throughout Europe as the thought was ‘as Britain goes, so goes the war’. Winston Churchill was aware of this as he addressed the House of Commons in May of 1940. A nation looked to their leader to determine whether they will keep on fighting or give in to defeat. He said:
“I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this Government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many long months of toil and struggle.
“You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory however long and hard the road may be. For without victory there is no survival.”
These words encouraged the Allies to continue to fight against the evils of Hitler and gave a light of hope through the dark days ahead.
Our God says that we are meant for victory. That we are more than over comers and that we are a people that are called for a purpose. Even in those times when we think that we can’t go on we can know that God is completing the work that he started in us..
There are a few things that we can do in order to remind ourselves that the troubles we go thorough in life are only tempory. The first is to:
1) Remember Where You Came From
It’s important to think about where God has brought us from. These times serve to remind us how far we have come and helps direct us towards our goals.
Take a second right now to remember that moment when God placed a call on your life. Were there bumps along the way, road blacks, detours? The answer is most definitely yes. But you overcame and have may realize that if it were not for God working in your life, you would not be where you are today.
The Israelites used to erect memorial stones after victories to remind future generations of the faithfulness of God. Let your perseverance be a memorial stone of his faithfulness throughout your life.
In the dark times of failure and doubt remember that he is completing you
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Phil 1:6
There will be good times and bad times, happy times and sad times, times of hope and times of discouragement, times of faith and times of doubt, times when you can take on the world and times when you struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
But whatever the times remember the time when God called you, remember when he held you, remember when he upheld you, remember when he encouraged you, remember when he loved you and sustained you when you needed it the most.
Remember your victories and remember your failures. Your victories remind you of his sustaining power in your life and your failures remind you of what you been through and how his grace brought you through it. Most importantly, remember that the work he is completing in you is not based on our works but based on His faithfulness and the call that he has placed on your life.
God has such great things ahead for those who trust Him. His word says that no eye has seen and no ear has heard the plans that God has for his children.
Your journey to being made complete. The journey that God is leading you on, takes time. Sometimes you may not feel like that chosen one of God. Remember the story of the Velveteen Rabbit and him wanting to become Real?
“What is REAL? ” asks the Rabbit one day, when he and the Skin Horse are lying side by side on the nursery floor. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle? “
“Real isn ‘t how you are made, ” says the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real. “
“Does it hurt? ” asks the Rabbit?
“Sometimes, ” says the Skin Horse, for he is always truthful. “When you are real you don’t mind being hurt”.
“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up, ” he asks, “or bit by bit”?
“It doesn ‘t happen all at once, ” says the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it does not often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand… . “
This is a reminder that no matter what we go through, or what we feel like, we are still beautiful to Him. Sometimes we may wonder why God is allowing certain things to happen. We have self-talk that ask ‘why do I feel like this’. ‘This isn’t what I thought life would be’. ‘God you promised me that you would be there for me when I needed you but you feel so far away’. Even when we fall we can be assured that he loves us and that the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable. No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[o] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39
We can be assured that someday we can be part of that great cloud of witnesses like it talks about in Hebrews. But now we need to surround ourselves by people who will help us get there.
2) Be Careful Who You Allow to Speak in Your Life
2 Samuel 10 gives us a great warning about being careful on who we allow to speak into our ear.
The king of the Ammonites died and his son had now become King. David wanted to pay respect to the new king because his father had shown kindness to him.
However, the kings advisers began to say that David had other motives and wanted to take over that kingdom.The new king listened to his advisers and the result ended up in a long war between Israel and the Ammonites. These two nations still have shaky relations to this day.
This is a sincere warning to be mindful who you surround yourself with and who is whispering in your ear. Remember that Job had his own advisors and were not speaking for God.
3. Never Give In
A year later after Winston Churchill gave his victory speech to the House of Commons, he once again was faced of motivating his country. Standing before the graduates of the Harrow School, a military academy that he once attended, he encouraged them with these words:
But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period – I am addressing myself to the School – surely from this period of ten months this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.
Conclusion
For us, in our trials, in our doubts, in our effort to get through the chaos that life brings us, we are encouraged to never give in.
Never give in to fear, never give in to doubt, never give in to hopelessness or despair. Never give in! Never give in! Never give in!. Never give up on faith. Never give up on each other. Never give up on the promises He gives us because God will never give up on you.
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