Dare To Give Up!

Today’s piece has a caveat-Caveat Lector(Let the reader beware) on it. I must admit that the title is a bit abstruse. I too, was a bit apprehensive but maybe there is a side to this two-sided story we have not realized yet. It is weird and at the same time hard taking the odd side today but I’ll try.

Life is about balance. What we hear often is that to achieve one’s dream one should not give up. Actually, that is true. However, I think that the import of that statement has not been fully gleaned.

Just because one is born a fighter does not mean he ought to feature in every war. Sometimes a fighter ignores certain wars. There is a saying that, “He who fights and runs away, may turn to fight another day; but he that is in battle slain, will never rise to fight again.”

It is humiliating to retreat in a battle but happy and wise is the one who knows when to retreat so that he can go back and prepare for a possible greater comeback.

The years were 280-275 BC. The war, Pyrrhic war. King Pyrrhus of Epirus was asked by the people of Tarentum(Southern Italy) to help them in a war against the Roman republic. It is said that Pyrrhus had an army consisting of 20,000 infantry, 3000 cavalry and 20 elephants.

By the use of the elephants Pyrrhus and his men did slay a good number of the Roman army. In the course of the fight, Pyrrhus lost a great part of the forces and most of his close commanders. The Romans instead could quickly replenish their loss. In Plutarch’s version of the story it is noted of Pyrrhus as stating after sustaining victory in the first two battles that, “IF WE ARE VICTORIOUS IN ONE MORE BATTLE WITH THE ROMANS, WE ARE UTTERLY RUINED”.

From this we got the term ‘pyrrhic victory’ to mean a victory that comes at a greater loss. It is possible to be victorious through persistence but it is better to count the cost. Would the victory be worth it? Is what I am not giving up on a worthy cause? Your answer should help you decide.

Beloved, there is a need to re-strategize. After the usage of certain steps towards the attainment of a goal, one may need to give up on the steps AND NOT THE GOAL. It is almost insanity to do the same things repeatedly and expect different results in the name of not giving up.

Sad to say too that sometimes we need to give up some pleasures, some comforts and even some companies in order to reach our full potentials. Do not be adamant to change.

Beloved, giving up is not entirely a bad thing to do. There are many sides to it. We must therefore not annihilate it entirely from amongst us. Many souls have perished holding onto that which were not even worth holding onto. Many dreams have remained what they are – dreams, because their bearers were not ready to revise their notes.

Giving up is not always a loss. At some points we have to give up on the good to get hold of the best.

Does one not give up his old life when he sees the beauty of a glorious life in Christ? The sinner that was void inside seeks pleasure from the wrong places till he finds ‘the Truth’ and so gives up on the old life for that which he has been missing all his life!!! When you look at it critically, you would realize that the goal of finding fulfillment remains intact, it is the plan that changed…It is important thus to let our young men and women understand fully what we mean when we say, NEVER GIVE UP. Leaving it unqualified can be deceptive.

What I say to you I say to all; Yes, give up useless pursuits, pride, envy, lust and anything that can prevent you from living a fulfilled life. Above all, give up everything for a life in CHRIST. Life is about balance. A balance of holding on and giving up. If balance is necessary then discernment is a sine qua non.

Reflect on these…