“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not [do not give up]” (Galatians 6:9).
Dr. V. Raymond Edman, late President of Wheaton College, was famous for his slogan, “It’s always too soon to quit!” If we are involved in big things, they are big enough for our God to handle. If we are involved in small things, they are not too small for our God to bless. The key to success is this: Don’t quit!
In 1953, a fledgling business called Rocket Chemical Company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry. Working in a small lab in San Diego, California, it took them 40 attempts to perfect their formula. The original secret formula for WD-40 – which stands for Water Displacement, 40th attempt – is still in use today and has been found to have thousands of uses. What a story of persistence!
Do you know who holds the NFL record for rushing yards in a career? His name is Emmitt Smith, and he played for 15 seasons in the NFL. Emmitt Smith is the only running back to ever win a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award all in the same season (1993). His career total for yards rushing stands at 18,355. Do you know how he did it? He carried the ball 4,409 times! Do the math and that’s 4.2 yards per carry. That’s right, he ran an average of 4.2 yards and was tackled, over and over again. He succeeded by getting up and going again after every tackle.
There will be days when you get tackled by problems and circumstances beyond your control. There will be days when you stumble and fall and even fumble the ball. But don’t quit. Just get up and keep going for the Lord.
Proverbs 24:16a says, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.”
We could name example after example of individuals and even companies that succeeded because they didn’t quit.
Doctor John Pemberton invented Coca Cola in 1886. Sales for that first year were about $50. The funny thing was that it cost John Pemberton over $70 in expenses, so the first year of sales was a loss. Would you like to venture a guess at what the annual sales are today of Coca Cola? You can find their product all over the world, even in places where you can’t find water.
Michael Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School where he tried out for the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year. But at 5 feet 11 inches, he was deemed too short to play at that level. But he didn’t let that stop him, and today Michael Jordan is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game.
Moses didn’t quit, and God used him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.
David didn’t quit, even in the face of an intimidating giant named Goliath, and God gave him a great victory.
Elijah didn’t quit, even though he got so discouraged he wanted to die. But God refreshed him, and he kept going for God.
Peter may have thought it was over after he denied Jesus three times. But the Lord Jesus recommissioned Peterm, and on the Day of Pentecost, his preaching was used of God so that 3,000 souls were saved and added to the church.
Jesus did not quit until he had finished the work that His Father gave Him to do and said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
When you get discouraged, get up and get going again. It wasn’t easy for the great heroes of faith in Hebrews Chapter 11, and in the very next chapter we are told, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience [endurance, persistence] the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).
May I remind you – it’s always too soon to quit!