Jump Start # 3534
Hebrews 10:24 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.”
It’s an interesting question to ponder. Just why do people quit? Some quit their jobs. Some sign up for special classes and then they quit. Some quit college. Sadly, some quit when it comes to their marriages. But, worse of all, is when a Christian quits walking with the Lord. The world gets just a bit darker when a Christian quits.
Paul experienced that. Demas returned to the world. Jesus faced that. Many walked with Him no more.
Why do people quit? Or, more specifically, why do some quit the Lord? That is a question that puzzles preachers and shepherds. While some come in the front door, others leave out the back door, never to return again. Departures are discouraging. Departures leave people wondering what more could have been done. Departures impact the family and can change the eternal direction that a family travels. Some are at a loss as to why some leave. In some situations, like a sinking ship, one after another begin to leave. It’s not switching congregations or moving away, it’s just quitting all together. Sundays become a day to sleep in, do house work, take day trips. The Bible is put away in a closet shelf. Food is eaten without prayers. Life becomes secular and consumed with what happens now. Someone has quit.
Here are a few reasons why:
First, some may have never been fully committed or fully convinced. They see the excitement surrounding a baptism and they want that. They get caught up following someone, rather than the Lord. Some are never fully convinced that the Lord is right in all things. They never understood why somethings are wrong. Some never got much more than their big toe into the faith of Christ.
Second, some never developed a positive support system. Biblically, we call that fellowship. They were always on the outside and never allowed the people of God in their lives or their heart. The friends from the world keep pulling them away from the Lord and into things that they shouldn’t be doing. They never fully tasted the goodness of fellowship. They never grasped the incredible joy of a great Bible study. Alone, the little sheep becomes vulnerable and easily attacked by the devil. The Lord realizes that we need support.
Third, some have never gotten over the disappointments from others. People let them down. Brethren hurt them. They never forgot and they never forgave. In time, these hurts work on their hearts like rust, it just eats away anything that is good. Things were said that should never have been said. People judged. They never felt included, accepted nor loved. For some, it seems that they were pushed out. So, they just quit. Shame on a church and shame on us when we have acted that way. It is nearly impossible to pull someone back when they have had such a terrible experience.
Fourth, some have never continued to feed their faith. They have starved their hearts spiritually. They were too busy with life and too busy with the world. In time, there was just nothing left in their soul. It’s easy to quit that way. Worry was never dealt with. Fear, doubt and questions were never addressed. Rather than developing great spiritual habits, the little faith had no depth and the scorching sun caused it to wither away, as the parable of the sower illustrates. Jesus said, “man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4).
Fifth, some never thought that God would take them back. They wondered out to the wilderness and now they are convinced it’s too late and they are too far gone for God to have anything to do with them. It’s been a long time, too long they believe, and as a result, they just give up, even though they’d like to come back. They are convinced that God no longer loves them. This comes from a little faith that just hasn’t learned the truth about the Lord. God longs for all of us to come back. The story of the prodigal shows us that God wants us back with Him.
“I’m no longer interested,” are some of the saddest words ever spoken. For some, they’ll take their chances. For others, they profess to still love the Lord and are doing their best to live a good life, they just don’t have the heart to stomach being part of a church again. I know folks like this. Getting them to see it’s not the church, but the Lord that you serve. And, when one quits, it hurts the Lord more than it hurts anyone else.
Our prayers must never cease for those who have quit. Our efforts must never neglect those who have quit. It just may be that someone is waiting for you to ask them back. Show kindness and gentleness. Be patient. Most lose their faith not by a major blowout but by a slow leak. Patching that leak and pumping that faith up is what we must do.
When one quits…things to think about.
Roger