“For whoever walks with the wise will become wise; for a companion of fools will suffer much harm.” Proverbs 13:20
“Never quit.”
Sounds good, doesn’t it? It’s a cliche that society uses as an effort to keep pushing and pushing, promising that eventually everything will work out.
But… what if… God says “no?”
I began to pursue softball at the mere age of 4, when the only competition was to be the “pitcher,” standing behind the head coach in the middle of the dirt with a helmet atop one’s head.
Here I am 16 years later, just as in love with the game as I was in 2003, as a 20-year-old Christian girl who is blessed with the opportunity to play Division 1 softball.
About three years ago, my family and I picked up and moved across the state the summer before my senior year of high school. The decision to move was nothing short of God’s sovereign plan; we ended up where we did because of my dad’s job’s transfer to a new location. The move was well prayed over, well thought-out, and nothing short of God.
Of course I was nervous about the transition, but I was mostly excited about the possibility of winning a state title at the new program I was being added to. It seemed as if everything was headed in the right direction.
The team was off to a great start. However, we quickly learned that this program’s leadership was focused on winning at all costs – not about playing for the One who gave us the abilities in the first place. Honesty, integrity, and Christian morals were all thrown out the window and replaced with corruption. Any efforts at change that would unify the team were disregarded by leadership in order to appease a small group of players and parents.
But if we’re being honest, I had a lot going for me. I was up for many awards that I had received in the past and also for some new ones dedicated exclusively for seniors. I had a huge chance of helping my team win a state title.
However, that didn’t quite align with the will of the Father. No title or recognition was worth sacrificing my relationship with Christ.
So my family and I began to pray about it. I was scared of the corruption within the program and what it was doing to my personal walk with Christ. It created issues within my family and took up the vast majority of our time; it got to the point where my family couldn’t even eat dinner together and made us hate our new home.
The chemistry on the team was so bad; we were so divided, that I (and others) would cry myself to sleep most nights because of a sport I loved so much that had become absolutely miserable.
But in my prayers, I was reminded that “no weapon formed against me shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17).
Satan was all over us. But I was reminded of 1 John 2:15-17, “These are the ways of the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too proud of what we have.”
And we didn’t know how much more we could take.
Then God began to answer our prayers.
Sometimes He is so obvious in the ways that He speaks to us.
“We must not get tired of doing good…” (Galatians 6:9a).
He continued to show us these signs of immorality and hypocrisy, but my family stayed rooted in the promises of the Bible.
1 Peter 2:11-12 tells us that “You are like foreigners in this world; stay away from the evil things that fight against your soul.”
So we made the decision to walk away.
This decision wasn’t about softball, it was about obedience. It was about listening and dedicating ourselves to a plan that is higher than our own.
He promises to protect us from evil; He will never leave us nor forsake us, even in the loneliest and most confusing times of life.
Proverbs 14:7-9 tells us, “Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech. The sensible man’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
Fools mock at making restitution, but there is goodwill among the upright.”
Was it hard to walk away from a team going into the postseason? Incredibly. Was it hard to the leave the handful of great friendships made? Exceptionally (I made some really great ones). Was it tough to see people on your team want you to fail? Tremendously. Did I cry about not finishing my senior season and throwing away my dreams at a state title? Yes indeed. Was it hard to give up the chance at receiving awards and fame regarding my abilities and performances? Definitely.
But that is called obedience. God doesn’t call us believers to be a part of something that leads us astray. He promises us that the Christian life will not be an easy one. We found peace in our tough decision because we obeyed.
No title, no achievement, no recognition is worth disobeying God. If a situation is not leading you closer to Christ, then it is perfectly okay to get out of it.
"Give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and he will flee” (James 4:7).
Quit.
Quit when the presence of Satan seems more obvious than the presence of God. Quit when your walk with God is shaken. Quit when something is leading you further from the Lord rather than closer to Him.
“For God works all things out for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
Sounds good, doesn’t it? It’s a cliche that society uses as an effort to keep pushing and pushing, promising that eventually everything will work out.
But… what if… God says “no?”
I began to pursue softball at the mere age of 4, when the only competition was to be the “pitcher,” standing behind the head coach in the middle of the dirt with a helmet atop one’s head.
Here I am 16 years later, just as in love with the game as I was in 2003, as a 20-year-old Christian girl who is blessed with the opportunity to play Division 1 softball.
About three years ago, my family and I picked up and moved across the state the summer before my senior year of high school. The decision to move was nothing short of God’s sovereign plan; we ended up where we did because of my dad’s job’s transfer to a new location. The move was well prayed over, well thought-out, and nothing short of God.
Of course I was nervous about the transition, but I was mostly excited about the possibility of winning a state title at the new program I was being added to. It seemed as if everything was headed in the right direction.
The team was off to a great start. However, we quickly learned that this program’s leadership was focused on winning at all costs – not about playing for the One who gave us the abilities in the first place. Honesty, integrity, and Christian morals were all thrown out the window and replaced with corruption. Any efforts at change that would unify the team were disregarded by leadership in order to appease a small group of players and parents.
But if we’re being honest, I had a lot going for me. I was up for many awards that I had received in the past and also for some new ones dedicated exclusively for seniors. I had a huge chance of helping my team win a state title.
However, that didn’t quite align with the will of the Father. No title or recognition was worth sacrificing my relationship with Christ.
So my family and I began to pray about it. I was scared of the corruption within the program and what it was doing to my personal walk with Christ. It created issues within my family and took up the vast majority of our time; it got to the point where my family couldn’t even eat dinner together and made us hate our new home.
The chemistry on the team was so bad; we were so divided, that I (and others) would cry myself to sleep most nights because of a sport I loved so much that had become absolutely miserable.
But in my prayers, I was reminded that “no weapon formed against me shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17).
Satan was all over us. But I was reminded of 1 John 2:15-17, “These are the ways of the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too proud of what we have.”
And we didn’t know how much more we could take.
Then God began to answer our prayers.
Sometimes He is so obvious in the ways that He speaks to us.
“We must not get tired of doing good…” (Galatians 6:9a).
He continued to show us these signs of immorality and hypocrisy, but my family stayed rooted in the promises of the Bible.
1 Peter 2:11-12 tells us that “You are like foreigners in this world; stay away from the evil things that fight against your soul.”
So we made the decision to walk away.
This decision wasn’t about softball, it was about obedience. It was about listening and dedicating ourselves to a plan that is higher than our own.
He promises to protect us from evil; He will never leave us nor forsake us, even in the loneliest and most confusing times of life.
Proverbs 14:7-9 tells us, “Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech. The sensible man’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
Fools mock at making restitution, but there is goodwill among the upright.”
Was it hard to walk away from a team going into the postseason? Incredibly. Was it hard to the leave the handful of great friendships made? Exceptionally (I made some really great ones). Was it tough to see people on your team want you to fail? Tremendously. Did I cry about not finishing my senior season and throwing away my dreams at a state title? Yes indeed. Was it hard to give up the chance at receiving awards and fame regarding my abilities and performances? Definitely.
But that is called obedience. God doesn’t call us believers to be a part of something that leads us astray. He promises us that the Christian life will not be an easy one. We found peace in our tough decision because we obeyed.
No title, no achievement, no recognition is worth disobeying God. If a situation is not leading you closer to Christ, then it is perfectly okay to get out of it.
"Give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and he will flee” (James 4:7).
Quit.
Quit when the presence of Satan seems more obvious than the presence of God. Quit when your walk with God is shaken. Quit when something is leading you further from the Lord rather than closer to Him.
“For God works all things out for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
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