After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:66-69 (ESV)
When my kids were little, I read lots of parenting books and took classes about how to be a great parent.
One of them (I can’t remember which one.) introduced me to the topic of “Parental Resolve.” The idea is that when you say something to your kids, you need to mean it. There has to be a resolve inside of you. A deep belief that says, “This is how it is going to be.” Because once you have that deep belief or resolve, you will act on your words, be consistent in your approach, and your kids won’t be confused. They will be comforted by your calm, consistent reinforcement of boundaries. This kind of resolve is what we need when we feel like quitting.
In John 6, Jesus and His followers are in the midst of a difficult time. All you normally hear about are the twelve disciples that Jesus called, but there were many more followers who fell by the wayside when Jesus’ words and actions did not line up with what they wanted Him to say and do.
Sometimes I feel like quitting too.
Here are three questions to ask yourself when you feel like quitting:
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” John 6:60 (ESV)
1. Do you give up when something is hard?
These disciples had been following an exciting man, one who was doing miracles and meeting needs. Then, His words confused them and were hard to swallow. They didn’t like what He said. When this happened, they gave up and went away. Why? They lacked resolve.
But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” John 6:61-65 (ESV)
2. Are you grumbling?
The disciples that had stayed around start grumbling among themselves. Jesus knew what they were doing and calls them out on it. Grumbling and complaining destroy resolve and cause people to give up.
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:66-69 (ESV)
3. Who are you following?
As others fall away and give up, Jesus questions the loyalty of the inner circle of twelve. Peter’s response was so inspiring to me.
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Peter had resolve.
He had decided in his heart that even when it didn’t square up with what he expected Jesus to say, he would follow.
He realized that grumbling would not provide the results he wanted.
He had resolved in his heart who he would follow.
The One who has the words of eternal life. The Holy One of God.
Action Step:
When you feel like quitting, it’s time for resolve. It’s time to decide that the hard times will not deter you from your course. It’s time to stop ALL complaining. Right now. ALL grumbling takes you further away from your goals and derails your resolve. It’s time to believe – to decide who you are following and resolve it in your heart.
Prayer:
Dear God, Thank You for sending Jesus – the One Who has eternal life. Thank You that when we resolve to believe and follow Him, our trust is well-placed. Help us to follow when it is hard and to stop grumbling. In Jesus’ name, amen.
In case you have missed John 1-5, click here to read those posts!