Don’t Give Up

Tired, weary, exhausted—each word describes caregivers. Providing care for a terminally or chronically ill loved one, or one who’s injured or disabled, can drain us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Discouragement can creep up on us, making us want to give up—especially if there seems to be no end in sight. What caregiver hasn’t felt the stress of the constant day-to-day demands of their loved one’s condition?

The apostle Paul understood this feeling, more than many of us can imagine. In a godless society, he desired to live the Christian life fully and completely. Yet his message was rejected by many. Few people, even his staunchest supporters, were willing to suffer exhaustion as Paul must have felt it. But no matter how tired Paul was in doing the work the Lord had given him to do, he kept his eyes on the prize—Christlikeness (Philippians 3:14).

Can we do any less? Let’s remain committed to our task of caregiving, remembering that it’s the Lord who strengthens us for the work He has called us to do (Philippians 4:13).