It’s so easy to quit: Quit our marriage; quit friendships; quit jobs; quit commitments; quit smiling; quit encouraging; quit serving; quit church; quit praying; quit giving; quit caring; quit learning; quit trying - - quit, quit, quit.

It’s so easy to do. But it doesn’t get us anywhere. Because after we quit or go looking for a better life or situation somewhere else, we realize that things in the new place really aren’t much different than the old. And we take our same attitudes and outlooks and viewpoints and quirks with us into the new situation, and sooner or later they rise up to help cause similar problems or feelings or dilemmas just like they did the last place. Then we want to quit THAT place or situation or relationship, thinking a new place will make it all better. And we just go round and round in circles: Quit – New situation – Happy for a time – Problem; Quit – New situation – Happy for a time – Problem – Quit…

Quitting simply isn’t the answer, the vast, vast majority of the time. Persevering in our situations for Jesus is. Sure, God gives us fresh starts sometimes and we desperately need them. And yes, new situations or relationships can be some better. But sooner or later, we’re going to face the same old problems repackaged in different faces and places and people.

So, it all boils down to growing and maturing in our relationship with God through hard situations; so that we can develop deep, Christlike character; so that we can impact people for Christ because we stayed somewhere long enough to do it; so that maybe some of them see God’s enduring love in us; so that some of them decide not to quit on God or others either; so that some of them stick with Jesus and go to heaven; so that they escape spending all eternity in hell. Ah, now we’re getting there!

Quitting. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.