Some people look at their family–the disillusionment, the roar of children, the arguments, the lessening satisfaction–decide it is not worth the effort and quit. Some people look at church–the commitment, the time and energy, frustration with people–decide it is not worth the effort and quit. Some people even wonder if life itself is worth the effort, decide it is not and quit.

The temptation comes as an overwhelming desire to throw up our hands at the problems we face, turn our backs and run to safer ground. Regardless of when and where problems rear their ugly heads, the temptation is the same–to escape. Who hasn’t thought, "It would just be easier if I quit." We may feel we are ill prepared for the task before us. We may feel our situation is unwinable, but quitting is not the answer. The answer is to press on to become an overcomer through Jesus Christ. It is true in every area of life–home, church, work, etc.

The seven churches at the beginning of Revelation are facing serious problems from within and without–problems they are truly unable to handle. Ephesus lost her passion. Smyrna faced persecution. Pergamum had unfaithful, uncommitted members. Thyatira was tolerating false teachers. Sardis had become lazy. Philadelphia was ridiculed by the Jews. Laodicea couldn’t make a commitment–they were lukewarm. These problems parallel (and often exceed) our own experience in the church and in life. We face passionless marriages, persecuted lives, hypocritical church members, deceiving teachers, religious tension, apathetic lives–sound familiar? What is the answer? Should we quit? Should we go on? What difference does our answer make? To each of these churches, Jesus says the same thing, "He who overcomes" will be rewarded.

The word translated "overcome" is the same word which is elsewhere in the Bible translated "conquer." The word is a military word. It is strong and its meaning unmistakable–to overtake by force. The crown of life is not given to those who quit the fight and run from the conflict, but to those whose hand firmly grips the sword and whose feet stand in the battle. The message of Christ to the churches is that He has come to deliver them through the hardships they face–"be faithful in the battle and I will grant you victory." But for those who run away–for those who quit–there is no reward.

The answer to each of life’s confounding problems is Christ. The more difficult and consequential the problem, the more imperative it is that we answer it with Christ.

When life is despaired to the point of resignation, there is no other hope but Christ. When the darkness presses in so mightily there is no light which is able to scatter the darkness like Christ. He is the One who is able to give us life and hope, and both abundantly. Light overcomes darkness. Hope overcomes despair. Life overcomes death. We are overcomers through Christ.

When church demands more time and more commitment than we are willing to give, there is One who is able to give us a different perspective. He is Christ. Whatever commitment we make to the church pales in comparison with the One whose commitment took Him to the cross. His commitment to the church is that He will, Himself, purchase and wash her in His blood, clothe her in His righteousness and accept her as His holy bride. The church, of course, is we who are called by His name. His sacrifice and His love demand our commitment. Commitment demands time. Christ emptied Himself to become a man to establish and redeem His church at great cost to Himself. Those who are part of the church are fully committed to Him who committed Himself to them. His love demands our best time and energy. We are overcomers through Christ.

When family pushes us to the edge and we are certain escape is our only choice, Christ gives us the motivation to stay. He died to give us entrance into the family of God. In God’s family we see God, the Father, and learn what it means to be a parent who does not exasperate his children. We see Jesus, the Bridegroom, and know how to be a loving husband who gives himself up for his wife. We see the church, Christ’s bride, and see what it means for a wife to submit to her husband. We see Jesus, the Son of God, and see what it means for a child to honor his father and mother. We learn from Christ that parents should sacrificially care for their children, a husband should love his wife unto death, and a child should submit his will to the will of his father. We are the followers of Christ, so we imitate Him. His love compels us to honor our commitments to our families. We are overcomers through Christ.

Obviously we face situations in our life which are not as significant as family, church and life. Every situation does not demand the same commitment, but we must face every situation as overcomers in Christ. There are appropriate times to quit some things–jobs, organizations, habits, even relationships–but the deciding question which guides our decision should not be, "What is easiest?" but, "Is Christ overcoming through me, or am I resigning the battle?" Let us be the overcomers to whom belongs the crown of life.