Our brother Jonah received a clear, divine directive to go to Nineveh. But instead of obeying, he boarded a ship sailing to Tarshish and poured his energy into a destination God never ordained. A furious storm arose, threatening to capsize the ship. The crew was frantic; they didn’t know what to do. They had probably not experienced anything like that before. Yet, Jonah persisted, choosing to sleep this one out.
Well, yeah, he couldn’t have dropped off at the nearest stop and hopped on another ride back home. He was in the middle of a raging sea, taking him to a city he wasn’t assigned to. He had taken a crucial wrong turn miles back, and every ounce of his incredible persistence was carrying him further away from the goal.
That wasn’t the worst part. His relentless push in the wrong direction was getting costlier: people were losing their goods, their minds, and maybe even their faith.
But Jonah, like many of us today when we’ve gone far in the wrong direction, chose to sleep. We know how the story ends, right? Yeah, in the belly of a fish. Read Jonah 1.
We live in a world that champions grit, hustle, and never-say-never attitudes. And I agree, persistence is a powerful, God-given trait! But what happens when that relentless drive leads us down paths God never intended or keeps us clinging to seasons that have clearly ended? What if the ‘giving up’ we dread is actually a profound act of faith and a necessary step towards our true divine assignment?
These are questions many of us quietly wrestle with: Can I give up? When do I give up? When do I call it quits on that dream or seek a new direction?
These aren’t questions born of cowardice or failure; often, it’s our spirits discerning critical divine signals, like the bus stop signs. Mind paralysis may hold us back from starting, but sometimes, it nudges us towards a deeper wisdom of knowing when to let go. We’re going to explore three powerful reasons, rooted in God’s wisdom, that tell you it might be time to quit or pivot.
When This is Not Your Rest
“Arise and depart, For this is not your rest; Because it is defiled, it shall destroy, Yes, with utter destruction.” —Micah 2:10 NKJV
You’ve poured your heart, time, and energy into something. You’ve prayed, planned, and pushed. But instead of feeling a sense of purpose and peace, you’re met with constant, soul-draining resistance. Every step feels like pushing a boulder uphill all the time. It feels like a tough season, or maybe a chronic spiritual and emotional depletion.
This is not your rest.
God calls us to labor, yes, but often within a context of His divine rest: a state where our efforts are empowered by His grace, where there’s a flow, even amidst challenges. If your struggle has become a perpetual, exhausting battle where your joy has completely evaporated and every ounce of effort feels disproportionate to any forward movement, it might be a signal.
PS: Rest isn’t laziness.
True rest in God isn’t passive laziness. It’s a surrender to His pace and provision. Laziness avoids work; God’s rest means working from a place of peace, trusting His strength. If your exhaustion is constant and spiritual rather than just physical fatigue from hard work, this dissatisfaction might not be your sign. You are probably on a path that was not divinely appointed for you. The exhaustion you feel is stemming from misalignment and not just exertion.
When God’s Not In the Plan
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. —Psalm 127:1 NLT
This is perhaps the most critical indicator: when God’s not in the plan for what you’re doing. We often pray for open doors, but sometimes God answers with very clear, very firm “no’s” or “not yet’s”. Spiritual discernment here is key. You have to genuinely listen instead of trying to force your will into what you believe should be God’s plan. It’s a simple way to show you trust Him.
Signs God might not be in your plans
You may experience:
Consistent Roadblocks: Not just minor setbacks but repeated, insurmountable obstacles despite consistent prayer and effort.
Lack of Peace: An unsettling feeling, a deep unrest in your spirit that persists even when, logically, things seem okay.
Absence of Provision: You’re constantly scraping by, battling for resources that seem readily available for others in similar God-aligned ventures.
Loss of Favor: What once flowed easily now feels like a constant uphill battle for connection, support, or breakthroughs.
Accepting God’s “no” or “not yet” requires humility and a deep commitment to His plan above your own. It’s about recognizing divine redirection even when it means laying down something you deeply desired or worked hard for. Surrender is obedience.
Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that. —James 4:13-15 NIV
When You’re Dead
“Don’t give up until you’re dead!”
Ever heard something like that before? People propping you up to consider giving up as a last resort can be enthralling, but it’s left a lot more people burnt out and walking dead.
I know this might sound harsh, but it’s incredibly liberating. “You’re dead” here doesn’t mean physical death. (I’m not talking about zombies.) Walking dead here signifies a person who is still physically alive but has lost all the vigor that makes them human. They are not eager about life, don’t jump to their alarms, or warm up to the sun. They are not dead, but they aren’t alive either.
Signs of a “Dead” Season
Death often signifies the spiritual closure or the end of a specific season or assignment. Just as seasons change in nature, so too do seasons in our lives and callings. You should watch out for these signs if you feel the autumn winds blowing around you:
The Fire is Gone: Not just temporary discouragement, but a profound loss of spiritual passion and calling for this specific area.
No Spiritual Fruit: Despite effort, there’s no life, growth, impact, or peace.
A New Whisper: You start sensing a distinct new direction or calling, but you’re too tied to the old to step into it.
Clear Closure: External circumstances (loss of funding, key people leaving, unfixable obstacles) clearly signal an end.
Persistence is vital for fruitfulness, but staying persistent vs. quitting needs divine wisdom. Stubbornly holding onto something that God has finished can lead to frustration, bitterness, and missed new beginnings.
This is where surrender to God becomes a beautiful, active choice. When you let go of your idea for God’s higher one, you find profound peace that opens doors for divine rebirth in new areas.
Remember: it’s the death of a good thing that heralds God’s best thing. Yes, even good things can die to give way to God’s best choices.
So, to wrap this up, I hope you’ve learned some genuine circumstances when it’s okay to give up. Giving up isn’t always about abandoning our goals but also about learning to recognize when our efforts are pushing against His will and retracing our steps.
True strength is found in knowing when to pivot, surrender, and trust that God has something better He is bringing to life, something He is fully committed to. It requires prayer, humility, and constant spiritual discernment. But the freedom found in wise surrender is unparalleled.
That, my friend, is your rest.
Have you faced a difficult moment when you had to give up to experience God’s best thing? Share your story in the comments below. Your experience could encourage someone else who’s wrestling with this very question.
