It's Always too Soon to Quit
Have you ever thought “This is too hard”? Have you ever said to yourself “I just cannot do this anymore”?
The truth is that we probably all have thought or even said these things. There are times when we just want to give up and quit. In life there are probably some things we should quit but I want to talk about the times when it is too soon to quit and how to know the difference.
God’s word gives us a great lesson in how we decide if this is something we should continue. We find this great wisdom in 1 Corinthians 13. Lets read it.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 ESV - [1] If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [3] If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. [4] Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant [5] or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; [6] it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. [7] Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [8] Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. [9] For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [10] but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. [11] When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. [12] For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. [13] So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Did you see it? In verse 4 Paul says “Love is patient”. In verse 7 Paul says “Love bears all things”.
This brings us to a question, “how long do we have to be patient, how long should I bear all things”.
When is it time to quit? How do we know when it is the right time?
Paul answers the questions of “how long” or “when is it time to quit” in verse 8. In verse 8 Paul says “Love never ends”.
Will you quit loving?
Will you quit investing?
Will you quit forgiving?
Will you quit trying?
The simple answer is this; if it is true love it never ends and it is never time to quit.
When you have a loved one who battles addiction - “Don’t quit”. There may be times when you have to pull away and force consequences which can be loving if it is done in the right way.
When a loved one has drifted away - “Don’t quit”. Be patient and you may have to bear some things.
When a loved one or a friend is in the hospital - “Don’t quit”. Keep praying, visiting and showing support.
God is our example because He never quits on us. God’s love is patient, it bears all things, and it never ends. There is nothing that can separate a child of God from the love of God the Father.
Here is my advice and I do not give this advice assuming that it is always easy.
“If you love something then it is always too soon to quit”.
Love never gives up, love never loses hope.
Never stop praying, never stop crying out to Lord because His love never ends toward a Child of God.