You Can Quit…Starting Today!

Has there been something you have been wanting to quit? Something that you know is not good for you? Yet, you have tried over and over again to quit, but without any success. You're beginning to think, "What's the point? I can never quit. I've tried. I can't." I want to encourage you today to not give up. Today could be the day you quit, and quit for good! I want to suggest to you a different approach to quitting. This approach gets your mind off of quitting and on to living.

Have a vision for your life. What is it you dream of doing? What do you get excited about doing? What is it you excel at and enjoy? How is what you want to quit holding you back? Having a vision for what you want to do and become becomes a great power within you to overcome what is hurting you.

Make a written list of all the reasons you can think of for quitting. There are so many great reasons to quit. Make your list right now. Think of ten reasons and write them down. Start today. Start now.

Read your list everyday. Part of changing how we live is changing how we think. Your thought process has to move away from desiring to quit to desiring to experience all the great reasons on your list. And you have decided not to allow what you need to quit to keep you from experiencing your list.

Keep your list with you at all times. There will be days, especially at first, when you will crave the very thing you want to quit. When this happens, don't focus on trying not to do what you are wanting to quit. The more you try not to do it, the more likely you will. Rather, get your list out. Start reading it. Start picturing yourself experiencing and enjoying your list. You have now shifted your thinking away from stopping what you want to quit to starting to think about what you want to experience.

Focus on how great quitting will be. You will be tempted to think about how difficult it will be to quit. Change your focus. Rather than focusing how difficult it will be to quit, focus on how great it will be to quit! If you change your focus, you will change your future!

Think about how much God loves you! God created you with gifts, talents, and abilities. He wants you to enjoy them, as well as others. He wants you to have a long enjoyable life with those you love and those who love you. He is for you. He wants to see you freed from the very thing that is holding you back and hurting your life. God's not angry with you. He has grace for you. The very thing you are wanting to quit may have been producing a weight of guilt upon you. Maybe it has made you dislike yourself and made you believe God dislikes you, too. Maybe you are angry with yourself for ever starting. And you believe God is angry, too. Be encouraged. God loves you. He holds our grace and forgiveness to you. Receive his grace. May the simple prayer below will be your first step to receiving God's grace.

Dear God, I am so mad at myself for starting the very thing I want to quit. I thought you were angry with me, too. But I am coming to understand that you love me and have grace for me. I receive your forgiveness, forgiveness that comes through Jesus. I may not understand everything. But I believe Jesus died for my sins, including the very sin I feel guilty about and want to quit. Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for all my sins. I place my faith in you and receive forgiveness. Because you rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, I ask you to make my heart your home. Come live inside me and lead me through life. Thank you that you will never leave me.

God wants to do much more than help you quit whatever it is that is holding you back and hurting your life, he wants to see you experience the life he has for you. He wants you enjoy your list. Maybe your list includes giving your daughter away at her wedding. Maybe your list includes spending time with your future grandchildren. Or maybe it includes developing the talent he gave you. Whatever your list includes, God is for you experiencing it!

If you enjoy this post, you may enjoy my book: Addicted To Grace: The Only Addiction That Can Set You Free!