Headspace: “I should quit”
Luke 18:1-8
9.25.2022

Series Intro – What we think about/our Mindset is important. God loves and cares so deeply for us, that His concern isn’t just for eternal life. He wants our thought-life to be healthy as well. That’s why he gives us some direction …

Why would God want us to think about these things? He knows our thoughts can get all caught up on not-so-healthy things! In this series, we are taking on some of the thoughts all of us have that can roll over and over in our minds. Lies the devil wants us to believe. These Lies can prevent us from living the lives God wants for us.

Today, we’ll tackle the lie that says: “I should quit.” This lie does such damage. It wrecks all kinds of progress and prevents so many good things.
- Diet and fitness programs
- Jobs and even careers
- Relationships, including marriages

Let’s be clear. There are some things we should quit: Bad habits, toxic relationships, unhealthy practices ... This whole series is about quitting destructive thoughts/lies. Today, I’m talking about the little voice that says, “I should quit.” Something that is good or helpful or healthy ... something that blesses our life.

Often, the moment we want to quit is the moment we should keep on going. One Navy SEAL talks about the training ...
“Never quit. Never contemplate quitting. Never allow that thought to worm its way into your head. Once it does, all is lost.” That statement is true in many parts of life. Once the quitting lie begins, it seems to be all-powerful. So, how do we do battle with the lie, “I should quit?” In Luke 18, Jesus tells a parable about a very persistent person.

Jesus’ story is about a judge and a widow. This would have been a shocking story to Jesus’ listeners. Shocking because the assumption by Jesus’ listeners would have been if He was telling a story about persistence and strength, it would have been about a man. Women were considered weak, and a widow would have been especially weak and vulnerable. But here is this widow. She was wronged. Maybe …
- Someone took advantage of her status as a widow and scammed her
- Family member tried to take whatever her husband had left her

This woman has to deal with an adversary AND she has a corrupt judge who just doesn’t care! She has nowhere to turn. Everything is against her. You would certainly understand if she just gave up. But she doesn’t! She is persistent! This widow goes back to the judge again and again.

This widow is so persistent that the judge, who has all the control and power, realizes that this widow might just take him down! That is persistence! And this is Jesus’ point to his disciples. Don’t quit! Be persistent.

Jesus says, “Persistence pays … even in our relationship with God. Sometimes, you’ve got to stick with it.”

It can be hard to be persistent. I want to focus on a couple of things that are essential if we are going to battle this lie, “I should quit,” and be persistent. Let’s begin with …
PatienceJesus says we should learn a lesson from the unjust judge! He eventually gave a judgment to the widow because of her persistence! But then Jesus applies the concept of persistence to us … God’s children.

So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

Rhetorical Question: a question asked to produce an effect or to make an assertion of affirmation or denial and not to elicit a reply, as “Has there ever been a more perfect day for a picnic?” or “Are you out of your mind?” Jesus asks the question to elicit the response, “Of course NOT!” Then, just in case there is any doubt, He says, ...

That’s great!
The problem is that God’s definition of “quickly” isn’t our definition of “quickly.” For example, at the end of the book of Revelation, Jesus says…

That was 2,000 years ago. If God’s definition for “soon” is 2000+ years. We are gonna need patience!

That brings us to something else we desperately need to be persistent:Faith. One of the most haunting verses in the Bible comes at the end of this parable. After Jesus talks about how those who ask God for justice will get it “quickly,” He asks …

Now that is an ominous question. In other words, will all the pain and struggle ... all the waiting, cause people to give up on faith in God? <Jesus worried> If we understand Jesus’ question like that, we are forgetting something important. Remember: God creates faith and sustains faith. When anyone comes to faith in Jesus, that faith has been given to them as a gift. Our faith (the faith of the world) doesn’t begin (or continue) because of us! In John 6, Jesus told his disciples ...

Anyone who has faith (believes in Jesus) has received faith as a gift. When Jesus asks if faith will remain on the Earth when He returns, He knows the answer.

So, why does He ask? In Luke 18:1, there’s an editorial comment ...

Jesus wants to be sure that His disciples are prepared for the struggles of the future ... and that they NEVER GIVE UP! Jesus’ question (at the end of the parable) is a rhetorical question! In other words, Jesus is asking the question to cause an effect and elicit an affirmation. “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” The answer Jesus expects is, “Of course He will! So pray and NEVER give up!”

When it comes to persistence, Jesus wants to create an effect for his disciples. He wants them to hear the question and realize that NO MATTER WHAT ... NO MATTER HOW much patience it requires ... God keeps His promises and God hears and answers our prayers! Knowing that shatters the lie, “I should quit.”

I’ve been asking you to meditate on two verses each week. Here are the two verses I want you to meditate on this week.

We have examples of persistent faith all around us. And we have Jesus, who created and sustains our faith! That brings me to the second verse.