The Battle to Finish Part 2: When Persistence Becomes Idolatry - The Dark Side of “Never Give Up”
Not every battle God called you to fight was meant to be forever. Some doors are meant to close AND stay closed.
A couple of days ago, I wrote about the power of focusing on a few, to increase chances of success and mastery.
But…what if…we need to also step back and consider if we’ve been sold a dangerous lie: “If you don’t quit, you can’t fail.”
Is that true?
Not always.
Some people aren’t failing because they quit too soon. They’re failing because they refuse to quit when God already said: “Let it go.” Relentless hustle is not always holy.
In fact, it can be demonic.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
— Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)
You see, the enemy doesn’t need to kill your dream.
He just needs to get you addicted to the wrong assignment, wrong thoughts, wrong feelings or get you to KEEP
hustling
pushing
striving
You keep bleeding energy into something God no longer breathes on.
Some, maybe including yourself, may call it “perseverance.” But it’s really pride dressed in productivity.
God tests our persistence. But He never asked us to worship the assignment.
Your job isn’t to push blindly.
Your job is to keep listening.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
— John 10:27 (ESV)
The tragedy isn’t that people quit too soon. The tragedy is that people won’t quit soon enough — because their identity is now tied to the thing God originally only meant to use for a season.
Takeaway line:
Sometimes obedience looks like rising again.
Sometimes obedience looks like walking away.
Both are winning — if God says so.
Remember to only follow the pillar of fire and cloud.
