Are you a quitter?

One of the most often traits seen in children is quitting before they finish their final product. Many things happen in a child’s life to cause this to happen. Other children deride their work, an adult causes them to question their work, and on and on and on. When this happens, this is a good time to take out God’s Word to teach them the consequences of quitting. The book of Haggai is a good starting point as he asks the Jews the same question: Are you a quitter? Let’s look at the evidence and then see what God would have us to do.

Way back in the times of Moses, the large book of Deuteronomy lists the blessings and curses for obedience vs. disobedience. Fast forward to Haggai, and we see that the Israelites had yet to learn or recall what God had said, and now they are floundering. God graciously, [How often do we see that characteristic of His?] sends two prophets to them, Haggai and Zechariah. Haggai speaks with great emphasis to the people, and like in Malachi, Haggai uses questions to get the people thinking. First, he reminds them that God sent them back from Babylon to rebuild the temple, but it has been sixteen years since they first began with great flourish! But then this and that happened. The enemies began taunting them, and they quit.

How often do we begin with a great bang of excitement, but then something happens to derail us and send us into the pity party mode, or worse, we just quit? Our archenemy uses many tactics, [one of his deadly d’s: distraction, discouragement, and more] to keep us from what God has clearly told us to do. Haggai asks the Jews what voice are you listening to? Are you a quitter? God is asking us that same question.  Haggai then draws them back to this: pay close attention to what God has asked you to do. We can ask children to pay close attention as well. Look at your work. Has God blessed it? If not, why not? As in the time of Haggai, he then asks them to start again and finish. Haggai writes that the people responded favorably, and the project was “back on track” and finished in a timely matter.

When your child/children face these down times, take them to God’s word and the story in Haggai to see that they are not the first to face this dilemma, but they can persevere and see a finished product that God will bless.