Sometimes it Takes More Courage To Stay

We are living in a world that glorifies quitting for better options. They say if you don’t like that job then get another one or go into business. If that man isn’t meeting your dreams then leave, girl, and get into the market. If that church isn’t giving you the experience then hop to another one or stay at the bedside a few Sundays. This goes against the grain and culture of our parents and theirs before. As we poke holes in traditional beliefs we quickly seem to throw out everything we consider old-fashioned. Any sight of a possible green pasture or any smell of something toxic and we are out of the door. But are we doing better for it? Are we more fulfilled than our parents who held on to one or two jobs for the rest of their lives? Are we happier moving to the third divorce? How are we finding that fourth congregation that we are now part of? These are hard questions and there may well be times when quitting is the best and most godly thing to do. But I think we are doing it so quickly.

Sometimes I wonder where our world would be if the people who came before us were quitters. Where would Christianity be if at the first sign of trouble missionaries got into their ships back home? Where would our democracies be if at the first sign of resistance they caved in? What about the world of medicine, technology, invention and innovation? Almost everything we enjoy today took years of hard work to come to be. It was born out of sacrifice and a hundred failures before the one success story. We sit now and type on the shoulders of those who labored hard without quitting. We preach the Gospel of which many shed their blood so we could hear it. We live in countries established on the blood of martyrs. The question is what will outlive us beyond the comfort we now enjoy? Will we join our heritage of hardwork and commit to something to the end? Will we fight the battle at the trenches sometimes despairing of life itself? Or will we quit because it’s just too hard?

Think about Jesus at the garden of Gethsemane. He’s looking at the cup he must drink for the sake of the people killing him. He’s thinking about you and I who fail him a hundred times. He’s thinking of what it’ll do to him to drink God’s wrath and it’s just too hard. Everything in him says, quit brother. It’s too difficult. These people don’t really deserve it. This is such a toxic environment to fulfill God’s will. He asks, no he begs the Father like a little child if possible to remove the cup, Mark 14:36. But what does he do? Where many would run away at the first opportunity he stays. This while his disciples were first asleep oblivious of his agony and the path he was about to take for their sake. This is how the Saviour bought us salvation. Now, just imagine if he thought, this is just too hard. There must be a better way to do it. I need a far better working environment. I need to be more appreciated for what I’m bringing on the table. I need better working hours. Your guess is as mine, we would still be lost in our sins and soon to drink that cup ourselves.

I need to be careful that I’m not misunderstood here. I’m in no way saying there’s never a good reason to quit on something. I’m not saying you should always stay in a manipulative working environment. I’m not saying you should stay in a church while it’s clearly not good for you and especially for your discipleship. I’m not saying you must stay in a relationship that is not leading to marriage. But I do think we need to learn from those who have gone ahead of us however much we might think they missed something. We need to take time before we throw in the towel. We need to learn that nothing ever came so easily. People had to work hard for it. Our forefathers made sacrifices for the privileges we now enjoy. The path of Christian life and ministry is one paved with difficulty. Jesus warned us that to save our lives we must be ready to lose it all, Mark 8:35. And we have his example to follow.

But here’s something we can do as we come to that cusp of decision making. As we weigh in the options to leave or keep fighting we can do what Jesus did. We can pray. I know that doesn’t sound like the solution we are looking for. But although the cup wasn’t removed from him, he did get the strength to stay, Luke 22:43. And let me tell you, it takes a lot of strength, strength from above to stay. We think quitting is courageous but I think staying takes more courage. But that’s what God does. He gives us staying power as he did his son. Sadly for us we like to wallow in self pity, we do almost everything but pray. We know we should pray about it but something in us keeps us away. Perhaps because we know what God will say to us and we don’t want it. Sometimes because it’s too hard to pray. But I pray that God will give you the strength to pray about it. Strength to ask him for staying power if it’s his will. I have also found talking to older saints can be helpful. And I must say older godly saints, not the friends of Rehoboam, 1 Kings 12:8. Other times we just need some time away to think and rest. But prayers even short quick ones is what will keep us going.