I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)

This verse gives the big picture in life. This is the one thing I will never quit. Following Jesus to the very end.

But given that I’ll never quit the main event, how do I discern which things I should quit, and when?

I don’t quit easily, but sometimes it’s OK to quit.

Here’s an example. I have served as a running Race Director for almost 25 years.

The job includes organizing and recruiting volunteers, permitting and fees with the town, coordinating snack delivery, putting all the markers on the course, and deciding whether to proceed or cancel if thunderstorms in the area that night. And using the bullhorn to announce the start of the race and the awards after.

There’s a wonderful sense of accomplishment when all the missing pieces come together, and the racers enjoy a good race. Indeed, I used to think thought I would be a race director until they pried the announcer’s bullhorn out of my cold, dead hands.

But due to the interaction of my afib and meds, I have lost the drive that propelled me as race director for so many years, and I won’t be able to continue as race director.

But that doesn’t make me a quitter in life. Because I won’t stop loving God.

When former pleasures are stripped away, I want to remain in God’s love. I want to still sing heartfelt praises. He is the invisible God who really did become personal in Jesus, who walked on this earth in the Middle East.

And Jesus said that his greatest commandment was “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And the second greatest was “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (See Matthew 22:37-40)

Such a simple motto: Love God and love people. Of course, it takes a lot of wisdom to figure out exactly how to live this out each day, but it’s the one thing I don’t want to quit doing.