Quitters Always Win

CS Lewis wrote about seven things to quit in life, in order to win the Lord. So many things around us today pull away or distract us from God.

#1 – “I quit pouring my time into things that added zero value to my life.” That could be TV, books, news, and entertainment of different sorts. I know that in my life there is at times so much noise and so many activities that I have the freedom to engage in, but they simply don’t nourish my soul. In fact, they suck the strength right out of me. This is one great joy of our RV life changes – so many of these were cut out. TV/cable and other books outside the Bible and more simply were cut loose. Freedom of soul and stress followed.

#2 – “I quit hanging with the wrong kind of people.” Isn’t it interesting that Lewis saw a correlation between bad company and the lack of spiritual growth? St. Paul did too. First Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 33 says, “Do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals.” Toxic relationships should not comprise the people of my inner circle. I surround myself with only people seeking God. Mostly my wife, but friends included. Anyone who isn’t seeking God, doesn’t stay close to me.

#3 – Recognize the need to stop criticizing and judging people. Stop the gossip and take responsibility for your mouth, what you say and what you don’t say. I would agree that my job is not to point out everyone else’s flaws or magnify their flaws. Control of tongue and silence especially in judgement is a big one for St. Faustina.

#4 – “Quit magnifying what’s going wrong in the world.” This is a big one. How many of us spend more time looking online for the latest scuttlebutt? We immerse ourselves in the problems of the world, and the more we dwell on them, guess what? The bigger they seem to be. All along, Jesus wants you to spend time with Him rather than all that time listening to the world’s problems. Once at the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I confessed my anger. The priest zeroed in on the news. For penance, he gave me to not watch or read news for a month. It was very freeing. You can either magnify the problem or magnify God.

#5 – “Quit overdoing it.” We live in a constantly busy world. Don’t rob your time with God by giving it to things of lesser value. Live a balanced life. Your relationship with God is not a chore. It’s a privilege. Your life force. Even things being done for God can be overdone and take away from God. Once my life was full of Godly things – CMF lead, Emmaus ministry head and leader, attending retreats and CMF/Emmaus meetings and more – all for God. But, all a spinning me around so much I couldn’t slow down to see God. Make the necessary adjustments.

#6 – “Quit pleasing people.” This one will definitely sap you of focus and energy. When you are constantly trying to please the people around you, in effect, put something or someone between you and God, in other words, the people you are constantly pleasing become number one in your life rather than the Lord. Quit pleasing people. You don’t live for people. You live for God. There is only One Whom you should care to be noticed by. There is only One from Whom you should desire a pat on the back and ‘well done (My good and faithful servant)’. God.

#7 – “Quit overthinking.” Stop overthinking everything because you will get stuck in the midst of your problems. Overthinking leads to worry, worry leads to fear. You’ll find it harder to hear God and most likely doubt and give up. In order to grow in Christ, you have to know when you have come to the end of your power, to the end of your wisdom and insight, and begin to turn to God. The fact that you have to spend so much time overthinking a thing says something about your inability to crack the nut and give it to God. “Lean not on YOUR understanding..”

If you have at least quit a few of these seven things that steal time and energy, you will be much better off. You will have cleared out the clutter and given space for the Lord to work in your mind and heart. The fact that the Lord is with you should move you to want to quit some of these things today.

Quit just a few of these things, and win the greatest award, a deeper relationship with God.