“If at first you don’t succeed…then quit!” What! That’s not correct…unless, of course, it’s coming from the mind of a child who is simply unable—or perhaps has no desire— to play a song on the piano for his teacher. Apart from the mountain being too hard to climb, the interest is at point zero. So, he quits. Perhaps it’s coming from the mind of a teenager who’s okay with words and such, but percentages and algebra… well, the grey matter is sadly lacking in dealing with anything beyond the times table. So, she quits striving to do the impossible.
At such a time are we may be inclined to recite the correct version of the famous quote: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!” another way of saying, Persevere in order to be successful? However, I’m not inclined to look at either of these scenarios as a lack of perseverance, which is defined as “doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.” I simply see both as a task beyond one’s interest (such as a young child who would rather be playing basketball than the piano), or one’s capability (the teen who just doesn’t get the math scene).
In these two cases, is quitting such a bad thing? All too often one is expected to continue on, to bravely endure… you know, practice the when-the-going-gets-tough-the-tough-get-going mindset! Tolerate the piano lessons. Struggle with algebra. Why? Because regardless of ones interests or abilities, quitting is perceived as failure—throwing in the towel, as it were.
I think it goes without saying that society tends to praise those who carry on when the going gets tough. The internet is full of quotes and platitudes that reinforce the belief that quitting is for losers: “You have not failed until you quit.” “Quitting is the easiest thing to do.” “Life has two rules: #1 Never Quit; #2 Always Remember Rule #1.” But then, to counter the negative perspective, we read, “Don’t quit because something went wrong. Quit because you tried your hardest and nothing made it better.”
The point I’m trying to make is that quitting sometimes may be the right thing to do,
regardless of the opinion of others. It’s not giving up, it’s choosing to focus your attention on something more important, and certainly within one’s capabilities. It’s not losing confidence or making excuses, it’s realizing that time and energy could be spent more productively in other pursuits.
On the flip side, sometimes carrying on when the going gets tough may be the right thing to do. There is no doubt that perseverance and patience can lead to success despite one’s limitations and despite the difficulties one faces. We read in the Bible of a man called Moses. Leading the exodus of God’s people to the Promised Land was certainly not on his life agenda! He was just a shepherd and “slow of speech and tongue.” However, his encounter with God made all the difference. He persevered, although from a human perspective, we can be sure that there were times when his life appeared upside down!
Although to quit or not to quit seems to be the question at hand, I believe another underlying thought must be acknowledged. If either quitting or not quitting is done in the pursuit of a full life, one of happiness and peace, we need to understand something about having such a pursuit. In John 10:10 Jesus said that He came so that we could live life to the fullest. It’s not about religion, or church, or how much scripture we read or know. And it certainly isn’t about whether we have chosen to quit or not to quit a particular pursuit. It’s about living life to the fullest and finding a happiness and peace through knowing Christ as Saviour and Lord and experiencing His grace as we strive to live a godly life. C. S. Lewis states that, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
In many ways we are pilgrims on a spiritual journey that’s filled with surprises, challenges, and even failure. It’s rare that the path of spiritual growth is straight and unwavering. It may mean quitting and pursuing another direction. Or, it may mean continuing on. Certainly there will be multiple joys and pleasures along the way, but any suffering…those challenges and difficulties we face…are necessary. Why? “Because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope “(Romans 5:3). In having a relationship with Christ we learn how to persevere and deal with those challenges we face in our daily day.
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