Don’t Be A Quitter

“I watched this Apple commercial over the holidays, and you may have seen it. It features a girl going out for a run on January 1st when it’s snowing,” posted Jay Ferguson on his blog.

“She’s clearly miserable, out-of-shape, wearing a pair of sweats that look like they belonged to your old middle school gym coach, devoid of the right gear. But, she does have an Apple Watch, which–spoiler alert–allows her to run all year long, progressively faster and in progressively better gear.”

“As she’s starting out on January 1,  the voiceover says, “You know, most people quit their New Year’s resolutions by the second Friday in January. It’s called Quitter’s Day. Look it up.”

Yep. Today actually is “National Quitter’s Day.” Facebook and social media are filled with posts about this phenomenon.

Apparently there has been extensive research on this issue. One study in conducted by Strava, a social network for athletes “found that approximately 80% of people who made New Year’s resolutions had tapped out by the second Friday of January,” according to a post by Israel Lewis.

Drive Research, a New York based national market firm says that “23% of all adults quit their New Year’s resolutions by this day. That number goes up to 42% of adults by the end of January.

The study also found that 92% of all adults will ultimately not follow through on a resolution. The top five New Year’s resolutions that people quit are:

• Improve fitness 48%
• Improve finances 38%
• Improve mental health (happier, more joyful, less anxious) 36%
• Lose weight 34%
• Improve diet 32%
• More time for loved ones 25%

Why do people quit?

• Unrealistic goals.
• Insufficient motivation.
• Undisciplined lifestyle.
• Poor planning.
• Failure to prioritize.
• Inadequate resources.
• Discouragement by one setback.
• Lack of intentionally.
• Weakness of character.
• No accountability.

I wonder how many Christians begin with noble goals such as read the Bible daily, pray three times a day, read a devotional, and attend every church service, but have already messed up, given up, or fallen behind?

The good news is that you can begin again. You don’t have to wait until next year. God is always ready and willing for you to change. To repent. To improve. To grow. To do better.

We all have imperfections and are at a different place on our spiritual journey. Don’t allow discouragement to overtake you and cause you to give up.

Furthermore, I wonder how many have quit the church? Quit the Lord? Or just quit being as fervent as you once were? To those who have become spiritually languid, lazy, and lukewarm, God says, “Be Zealous and repent” (Rev. 3:19)

Don’t quit. Strengthen your resolve. Pray for guidance. Find encouragement from others. Try a new approach. Refocus your priorities. Get up and get going.

Don’t feel like it? To paraphrase psychologist Dr. O. H. Mowrer, “It’s easier to act yourself into a better way of feeling than to feel yourself into a better way of acting.”

The poet Edgar Guest offers this insight and advice.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
when the funds are low and the debts are high,
and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
when care is pressing you down a bit – rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns.
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow – you may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor’s cup;
and he learned too late when the night came down,
how close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out – the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
and when you never can tell how close you are,
it may be near when it seems afar;
so stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit – it’s when things seem worst, you must not quit.

To all Christians, the apostle Paul challenges us with these inspired words.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

Don’t quit.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman