By Donna Gibbs, LCMHCS, BCPCC
When I consider the word, “Quit,” I reflect back on my track years, and specifically to the 400-meter race. When you are sprinting for that distance you become well-acquainted with the word, quit. During the last curve, muscles burning, and out of breath, you wonder if you are going to make it to the finish line. And, sometimes, you’d just like to check-out and forget the finish line altogether. I think this is the reason Paul used the example of a race so many times in scripture. “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:14, New Living Translation.) In other words, it does little good to compete in a race that we don’t finish.
Some struggles in life are more daunting, though, than a 400-meter sprint. Marriage struggles. A challenging diagnosis. An addiction. Raising a strong-willed child. Depression that just won’t budge. Anxiety that nearly cripples. A job that takes more than it gives. Overwhelming regrets of the past. When we face tough struggles in life like these we sometimes want to exit the race and run for the sidelines. We want out. We just need the madness to stop.
So, we quit.
We give up.
But hear me… sometimes, we give up too quickly.
For those of you who are NCSU fans, the name Jimmy Valvano is a household name. Of course, he’s known for leading the Cinderella team of 1983, and refusing to quit when the odds were stacked against him. But, he is also widely known for a speech that he gave during his acceptance of the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award in the spring of 1993. Why was that speech so profound? Because Jimmy Valvano was dying. His body covered in tumors, he announced the birth of the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. It’s motto? “Don’t give up…Don’t ever give up!” Despite his physical weakness, He stood throughout that speech, demonstrating how to press on until the end of his race.
If God is urging you to release a situation, or a relationship, then obey. But quit only if you are certain God is prompting you to do so. Don’t ever give up prematurely on something, or someone, that God hasn’t led you to release. If God can speak creation into being then He can speak life into your seemingly hopeless situation. And if God can resurrect His Son from the dead, then your situation is not a problem!
Ponder that!
Your challenges can be overcome! Premature quitting interferes with God’s work in your life. So, stay the course. Run the race.
Keep standing!
And, “don’t ever give up!”
Donna Gibbs, co-owner of Summit Wellness Centers, PLLC, is author of the recent releases, Silencing Insecurity and Becoming Resilient. Donna has authored numerous other books, her blogs are frequently shared in various media outlets, and she is commonly featured on radio broadcasts across America, and occasionally internationally as well. Donna has been providing individuals and families the hope and help they need for more than twenty years as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor and a Board-certified Professional Christian Counselor. A member of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), she is a leading professional provider for Focus on the Family, Christian Care Network, r3Continuum, FINDINGbalance, and Samaritan’s Purse.
Follow Donna’s author page at https://www.facebook.com/DonnaGibbsResilience/ for daily encouragement, the weekly blog, and updates regarding events and speaking engagements.
