Never Stop Never Quit Philippians 3

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12, NASB).

Every year people make New Year resolutions. One of the revolutions that people make is to lose weight and get in shape. During the first few weeks of the New Year the gyms and health spas are filled with people. People come enthusiastically with hopes and dreams of seeing a new person looking good and feeling good. Then, after about two weeks or one month people stop going to the gym. They stop and they quit. In this article we will consider reasons that people stop and people quit. Although we are primarily talking about our walk with Christ, the principles in the article can be applied to all areas of our lives. How did I come up with this topic?

I am in the gym working out. In the mist of my workout I see a young woman whose name is Jody with a shirt on that has the words “Never Stop Never Quit.” The first thing that comes to my mind is that I see this young woman every day it seems. This inscription reminds me of a story that I learned when I was about eight years old. It is the story about a race between a turtle and a rabbit. When I get home I Google and to my delight the story is on the internet. I listen to the story. Although it is worded a little different from the version that I had learned the story and the moral of the story is the same.

This is a brief summary of the story. The rabbit (hare) brags to the turtle (tortoise) about his speed. The turtle and the rabbit challenge each other to a race. The rabbit takes off and leaves the slow turtle far behind. It is a hot day, and the rabbit full of confidence decides that he can take a nap and still beat the turtle to the finish line. The rabbit wakes up and races to the finish line. When he gets to the finish line he discovers that the turtle has already arrived. The rabbit loses the race because he stopped to take a nap.

The next day I talk to my friend Dray. I ask him why people stop coming to the gym. Why do people quit? Dray and I begin naming some reasons that people stop coming to the gym. Here are a few things that we came up with. This list is not exhaustive, but it is hoped that it will serve as a catalyst to get people thinking about the goals that they set in life. It is hoped that this will help someone to never stop and never quit.

People stop and quit because they do not set realistic goals. People come to the gym expecting to lose a certain number of pounds in a short period of time. After coming to the gym for a week or two they discover that they have not lost much weight at all. They decide that the exercise is doing them no good so coming to the gym is a waste of time. The exercise is in fact doing them some good. It’s just that they do not see the results in the short amount of time that they expected.

David provides for us an example of one that set realistic goals. In 2 Samuel 30:1-6 David must make a decision whether to pursue his enemies. Would he be successful against his enemies? Faced with this question David makes the decision to determine if his goals are realistic. Are they obtainable” “David inquired of the LORD, saying, ‘Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?’ And He said to him ‘Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and you will surely rescue all’” (v. 8, NASB). After inquiring of the Lord David determines that his goals are obtainable. He pursues the enemy and rescues his people. When we think about doing something do we ask the Lord about what we are thinking? What college should I attend? Can I afford the tuition at this college or will I be paying off student loans for several years after I graduate? Maybe I should attend a school that is less expensive.

A second reason that people stop and quit is that they do not count the cost before they begin the journey. Maybe, the young man did not consider the extra time that he must put in to get ahead on his job. Now, he must stop coming to the gym because it is more important to him to get that promotion on his job. The prestige of the promotion is more important to him than losing ten to twenty pounds. If he gets the promotion the extra money that he will earn will allow him to take his family on a long anticipated vacation. Now we are not being judgmental. It is just a fact that the man had not considered the cost before starting on a new exercise program.

In the gospel of Luke Jesus tells those that are following Him that there is a price to be paid if they will be His disciple. He tells them that they will have to make Him their priority above their family members (Lk. 14:26). Jesus gives two illustrations. First, the man that wants to build a tower must calculate the cost before he begins the project. Does he have enough supplies and materials to build the tower? Can he afford to pay the workers? Secondly, the king must consider his strength before he goes to war; before he engages the enemy in battle (vv. 28-32). Does he have enough trained soldiers to win the war? How about the weapons needed to fight the battles? Does he have enough? If the king does not count the cost he faces the strong possibility that he will be defeated. This leads us into a third reason that people stop and quit.

A third reason that people stop and quit is that they are not willing to pay the price for success. It’s not that they lack ability and resources, rather, it just that they discover that they have to pay more than they want to. In Philippines 3 Paul tells us that he has a goal that he is determined to obtain. Yes, the cost is high. He must give up his status as an esteemed Hebrew. He is from the tribe of Benjamin and a Pharisee (v. 4). He persecuted the church in order to be righteous according to the Law as he understood it (v. 6).

It cost Paul a lot of suffering. When Paul writes this letter he is in prison. Still, he embraces the cost. He relies not on his own strength. Instead, He depends upon the power of the resurrection that raised Jesus from the dead. Paul wants to really know Christ even to the point of sharing in the fellowship of His suffering (v. 10). Paul’s goal is to “attain to the resurrection of the dead” (v. 10). Paul states the ultimate cost. He says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v.14, NASB). Paul keeps the goal in mind. Paul is encouraged by the support that he receives from the church at Philippi. Regardless of the circumstances Paul thinks it is worthwhile to pay the cost to reach his goal.

Finally, Paul tells us that we must have the right attitude toward the standards necessary for us to live up to if we hope to receive the prize. If we hold on to old attitudes and live by insufficient standards we will not receive the prize. So, what is the prize that Paul wants to receive? Let Paul tell us. Paul says, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (vv. 20-21, NASB). With the right attitude and faith in Jesus we will never stop. We will never quit.