Keep Calm and Don't Quit

“…Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

Worry.  Dread.  Frustration.  Obstacles at EVERY. SINGLE. TURN.  We’ve all been there.  These feelings many times lead to giving up and quitting whatever is the source of these emotions.  Many times throwing in the towel seems SO much more appealing than having worry/dread/fear/frustration and the like consuming your every thought.

Oh, I’ve been there too.  There have been times I was not happy about certain situations and thought the easiest and seemingly worry-free solution would be to just quit and do something else – surely that would bring some peace to my chaos.  It doesn’t though.  Things may slow down, but other negative feelings seem to pop up – disappointment, regret, and sometimes even more unhappiness.  Disappointment that I didn’t accomplish something.  Regret that I gave up too soon.  Unhappy that I let someone down. 

Time after time we hear teachers or leaders tell us, “Don’t quit!  Persevere!  You can do it!”  Those phrases seem so cliché, but they are so true.  When we listen to encouragement and advice during our times of wanting to give up, this support can take a hard situation and help us see it from a different angle.  It can come from parents, teachers, church leaders, others who have been through those same situations, and also through prayer.

I can’t think of a better encouragement, however, than the Bible.  It’s His Word to us!  There are so many ways in which the Bible can encourage us in life…especially in the instance of not giving up.  Look at how The Message paraphrases Psalm 119:1-6: “You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right - you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel.” 

What would’ve happened if Noah had given up on building the ark?  Well…there would definitely be no zoos, that’s for sure.  What would’ve happened if David had stopped running from Saul in the wilderness?  He wouldn’t have been king of Israel because Saul probably would've killed him.  What if Paul had quit going on his missionary journeys after all the troubles endured?  He wouldn’t have reached thousands for Christ.  We will endure hardship and frustration in this life, but God has a plan for us and will use us for His glory...we must trust Him in that and not give up!  Paul has great encouragement for us.  Look at Romans 5:3-4, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."  I also love what he says in Philippians 1:6, “[Be] confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Paul is telling us, “Don’t QUIT!  Jesus, the Guide of your life, is doing a great work and He will complete it! Stay the course.  Don’t give up!” 

I recently posted part of the following poem on Facebook, but I wanted to take this blog post to show the poem in its entirety.  It’s not a Christian poem, but I think it combined with the scripture I have shown above both speak to the same message…don’t quit, even when it’s hard.  In middle school, my science teacher asked us to memorize this particular poem.  He was a cross country coach, and to be honest, in 7^th grade, I thought that’s what the poem had to do with (no I was not in cross country).  When I got to high school, I happened to have this same teacher again, and again, he asked us to memorize this poem.  By this time in my life, however, I understood that it was much more than a poem for cross country runners….it was a poem that anyone could relate to…a poem that speaks to perseverance and not giving up in the tough times of life.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen this poem in its entirety and I couldn’t recite it to you word-for-word, but I’ve never forgotten the message of it…even after all these years…. “don’t you quit.”

Don’t Quit

by Anonymous

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and its turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When they might have won, had they stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow,

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than, 

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!