We don’t want to quit because it evokes emotions of isolation and failure. When we quit and walk away from the herd we’re suddenly alone. We’ve all watched enough National Geographic TV to know that it’s the gazelle on the periphery of the herd that gets eaten by the lion. So we choke down all the bad vibes that are screaming in our heads and hearts saying “Run” and we stay in the herd because it feels safe.

We don’t quit because we know of our friends will turn on us. Their own fears and frustrations will turn into half-truths and innuendo used to attack you for leaving. Though they respect you for being bold enough to say “The emperor has no clothes” their own lack of courage and conviction forces them back to imperial obedience which costs them the opportunity to know the freedom, opportunity and joy that comes from stepping away from the crowd.

We don’t quit because we don’t want to admit we are wrong. Sixteen years. Millions of dollars. Heart-ache. Late nights. There’s no way I’d admit it’s not working. That would be embarrassing.

OK. But if you just keep doing what you are doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting. How’s that going to work for you?

Unfortunately many people surrender to lesser lives because they don’t want to say “This isn’t working.”

You’ve got to know when to quit.

Jesus Favors Quitters!

While I don’t know that Jesus ever quit, His forerunner John the Baptist was a quitter. He only had one sermon: “Quit! For the Kingdom of God is at hand.” (Barry’s translation)

I do know that Jesus called us to be quitters.

Repentance—a very good, Biblical, righteous, faithful thing—is about quitting. It’s about the enlightenment of realizing that what you are doing is wrong, or won’t lead you to where you want to be, or isn’t working, so you quit! Turn around! Go the other way! God Himself endorses quitting.