Don’t stop, keep going, never quit

In the race of life, Jesus Christ is running with us. He is not only the starter of our race, He is our pacesetter, our encourager, and our partner. We live the Christian life not by our own effort, but by His strength. In Him, we are never alone. Without Him, we are easily discouraged, and tempted every day to quit.

When I was a boy, I took piano lessons...but not by choice. My mother made me take them, and I quit as soon as I could. (Maybe you did, too.) But I remember a story about another boy who had real talent. His mother encouraged him to keep on playing when the scales got boring and the work was hard. When a world-renowned pianist came to their city, this mother took her son to see him play. She thought it would inspire him to continue. As the crowd gathered in the concert hall awaiting the performance, the boy wandered up to the stage to see the great, shiny, grand piano. Quietly, he made his way up to it, and very quietly started to play...chopsticks. The murmuring crowd quickly hushed, then began to protest. “Get that kid down. What is he doing up there?” The great pianist heard the commotion, and entered from the wings of the stage, putting his arms around the boy’s from behind. First, he joined in the boy’s simple song, then he began playing beautiful music, fabulous chords, part of a concerto...and it was wonderful. The whole time he played he whispered in the child’s ear, “Don’t stop, keep playing, never quit.”

When you want to quit, remember, the Lord Jesus has His arms around you, and He is whispering in your ear: “Don’t stop, keep on, I believe in you.”