"Packing it in"

         Have you ever heard the phrase "packing it in"? To me, I've heard it used in the context of "cutting your losses" and folding. Kind of give up because you are not going to win. This is not to be confused with "mailing it in" which connotes going through the motions without passion or energy because the end is already determined, as in a baseball team that is out of contention finishing out the season without much effort. But packing it in is different. The online definition of idioms defines it this way - to quit trying to do something; to give up trying something and quit.
         Have you ever felt like packing it in? Maybe you have experienced depression and just want to give up life. Could be your marriage or relationship has insurmountable problems and you just want to quit trying. Maybe your job is a dead end job that wears you down and you dread going to each day and you feel like turning in your notice. Spiritually speaking, maybe you are ready to give up on following Christ - this Christianity stuff is just not meeting my expectations any more. A loved one died or has terminal cancer, you lost your job, your kids are disobedient, you are about to declare bankruptcy, your car lost it's transmission and your heathen neighbor is cruising through life. Or maybe you are not ready to pack it in on Christ but on certain aspects of your walk with Christ; your prayers aren't getting answered the way you think they should be, you witness to people and noone responds or worse yet they respond and their lives don't change, you aren't getting anything out of church and it seems like a waste of a perfectly good day off, you read the Bible and you don't get anything out of it except a good snooze, you are teaching Sunday School and it seems like noone is "getting it", etc. Because of all these you are ready to pack in praying, witnessing, church, Bible study, ministering, etc.
              You may be relieved to know a great hero of the faith felt like packing it in. The Bible calls him "a man just like us" in James 5:17. His name was Elijah. The surprising thing is the timing of his decision to call it quits. He had just experienced a tremendous spiritual victory and manifestation of God's power and confirmation that God was with him on Mt. Carmel as God sent down fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice while the prophets of Baal failed in their attempt and the phoniness of their God was exposed to the people who then proceeded to kill all these pagan prophets. However, the next day, when King Ahab reports what happened to his wife Jezebel, she vows to have Elijah killed within the next 24 hours. Elijah hears this, is afraid, runs for his life, wishes he was dead, has a "woe is me" pity party, and feels ashamed and unworthy for running. Elijah is certainly "a man just like us".
              As we look at some of the factors that precipitated this willingness to "throw in the towel" we can glean some insight into why we give in so easily and maybe some preventative medicine to avoid packing it in.
    1. Elijah was physically spent - they were in the midst of a 3 year ,God sanctioned, drought where food was scarce and Elijah, like all others would have suffered the physical effects of this. Not only that, he just experienced a high adrenaline day with long hours, emotional highs and lows, and then outran a chariot all the way to the local city. God recognized his need and had him physically rest and fed him not once but twice. As a doctor, I am well aware of the link between physical well-being and mental/emotional well-being. If you aren't eating or sleeping well, if you aren't physically fit, or if there is something medically wrong with you , your mind may not process things the way it should.
    2. Elijah was alone - while there were 7000 others out there who hadn't bowed the knee to Baal Elijah felt like he was the only one. The Bible is clear on the need for fellowship
Two are better than one,
   because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
   one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
   and has no one to help them up.
¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
   But how can one keep warm alone?
¹² Though one may be overpowered,
   two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken Ecc. 4:9-12

As iron sharpens iron,
   so one person sharpens another. Prov. 27:17
  
  Not only that but when our Lord sent the disciples out in pairs, he did this for good reason. How are you doing in this area? Are you sharing your victories and losses with someone?How about what the Lord has been teaching you and where the Devil has been tempting you? If you are all alone you will be prone to packing it in.
    3. Working FOR the Lord - Elijah had zealously been working for the Lord and where had it gotten him? Revival should have broken out but instead the wicked leaders remained wicked. His life should have gotten easier but instead he had a death sentence on him. His faith should have gotten stronger yet he was running scared. What did God do? He took him to His mount to spend time with Him. Are you weary in well doing? Do you feel like you are carrying the load and noone else is helping? Are you burned out? Are your Energizer batteries drained? Well, thats the problem - you are functioning on YOUR batteries. You are working FOR the Lord rather than IN the Lord. You need to come to Him and let His power restore you. Get away. Have some one- on- one time with the Lord.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matt. 11:28,29

                     So if you feel like packing it in in your spiritual life in whatever degree or area, assess these 3 things - am I physically taking care of myself, am I sharing my feelings with anyone, and when is the last time I got alone with God. One comment on the last area - you don't need to have mountain top experiences with God or spiritual retreats. In fact God illustrated this to Elijah when he showed him that He wasn't in the wind, earthquake, and fire but rather the still small whisper. Perseverence, steadfastness, and faithfulness in the Christian walk is born in our daily quiet times of reading His word and talking to and listening to Him. It isn't the great spiritual victories and supernatural movements of God in our life that are going to sustain us. Victories and failures are incidental because our goal in life is to know God and if we do and are daily living in that love, come what may we would answer with Peter when Christ asked him, "Are you going to pack it in too?" (JKV) Peter answered, "To whom else shall we go. You alone have the words of life." John 6:67,68.