In modern culture, "quitting" and "surrender" often find themselves misunderstood, conflated, or treated with dismissive simplicity. However, to understand these two paradigms fully, we must look beyond the surface and appreciate the profound psychological, spiritual, and historical implications that separate them.
To quit is to embrace defeat, to cease striving altogether — a choice often born out of disillusionment, fear, or a desire for comfort. On the other hand, surrender, particularly in the context of spirituality, is a deliberate act of trust, relinquishing control to God, and the nature of that surrender is marked by humility and faith. In surrender, there is a path to victory; in quitting, only resignation and loss.
In this paper, I investigate the differences between quitting and surrender from the perspectives of Biblical teaching, ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, psychological analysis, and insights from leading modern voices, including business leaders and cultural thinkers.
The theme of surrender is deeply rooted in both Biblical texts and philosophical writings. The great philosopher Epictetus taught that true freedom comes not from clinging to one's power or will but from aligning with what he called the Logos, or the rational order of the universe. This aligns closely with the Judeo-Christian understanding that true liberation occurs when one surrenders to God's divine will. Proverbs 3:5 instructs us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." In contrast to quitting, which involves giving up in the face of challenges, surrender entails a conscious alignment with a purpose greater than ourselves — a direction we are invited to follow, even when it involves sacrifice.
In Greco-Roman history, surrendering one's will was often linked to the wisdom of the Stoics, who suggested that one should accept what is beyond one's control as a means of accessing true peace. Marcus Aurelius, in his Meditations, emphasizes surrender as a rational act — a choice to accept the natural course of things without resentment or despair. Interestingly, the Stoics concept of acceptance bears similarities to the Christian idea of surrender to God's sovereignty.
Conversely, quitting has never been embraced by ancient philosophers as a virtue. The Greco-Roman heroes, from Achilles to Aeneas, were lauded for their perseverance, even when defeat seemed inevitable. In this context, quitting was perceived as a form of dishonor — a rejection of one's duty and purpose. Instead, such figures were honored for their willingness to endure, fight, and ultimately surrender their pride for a cause beyond themselves.
From a biblical perspective, the Bible repeatedly illustrates the concept of surrender, often contrasting it with the tragedy of quitting. In Luke 22:42, Jesus exemplifies perfect surrender in His prayer at Gethsemane: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Here, surrender is an expression of strength — a submission to the will of God, which ultimately leads to triumph over death itself. Jesus' surrender was not quitting; it was embracing the greatest purpose for which He had come.
We see the power of surrender again in the story of Abraham. When God called Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac (Genesis 22), Abraham's willingness to surrender his most precious possession and greatest love was a testament to his unwavering faith. He trusted God's plan was perfect, even when it defied human logic. This act of surrender opened the door to blessing, as God provided a ram in place of Isaac and reaffirmed His covenant with Abraham. Surrender, here, is synonymous with faith — it is the willingness to trust in God's ultimate goodness.
Meanwhile, Biblical figures who chose to "quit" are often depicted as those who failed to trust God's promise. Consider the Israelites in Numbers 14: the people, having heard the reports of the formidable inhabitants of Canaan, decided to abandon God's call to take the land He promised them. Their quitting was born out of fear, disbelief, and a desire to avoid discomfort. It led not to liberation or peace but to wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Quitting, here, did not provide relief, only prolonged suffering.
The prophet Jonah also offers an example of the impulse to quit. When God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, he ran in the opposite direction (Jonah 1:3). His refusal to obey was an attempt to quit God's mission, driven by fear and resentment. Nevertheless, even in his attempt to flee, God's grace pursued Jonah, leading him to a place of surrender inside the belly of a great fish. Jonah's ultimate surrender led to Nineveh's repentance and salvation, illustrating that true surrender aligns us with God's redemptive purposes while quitting denies those very opportunities for grace.
Psychologically, quitting is often associated with the surrender to fear — not the kind of surrender that is life-giving, but rather a capitulation that shuts down potential. Angela Duckworth, a psychologist known for her work on "grit," points out that the ability to persevere in the face of challenge is a hallmark of success in every arena of life. Quitting, for Duckworth, is the act of forsaking the opportunity for growth.
On the other hand, surrender, as explained by Dr. Jordan Peterson, is an act that involves profound courage. It is not about giving up; instead, it is about letting go of ego, fear, and the illusion of complete control. Peterson notes that in any meaningful life endeavor, one must be willing to confront the chaos — and, at times, surrender to it — in order to find a deeper sense of order. He equates surrender with trust, particularly trust in something transcendent that guides us beyond our limited understanding.
When considering cultural perspectives, we discover surrender leading to victory. Modern cultural icons have spoken extensively on the value of surrender and perseverance. Business leader Simon Sinek speaks of surrender not in terms of defeat but as an acknowledgment that one cannot control every outcome — and that true leaders are those who know when to yield, adapt, and trust their team. Sinek contrasts this with quitting, which he describes as cutting off potential pathways to success before they even have a chance to manifest.
Public speaker and author Brené Brown emphasizes the courage required for vulnerability, which is inherently tied to surrender. Brown explains that surrendering to vulnerability — admitting that we do not have all the answers — is what ultimately allows us to grow, connect, and thrive. Quitting, by contrast, is the refusal to engage with vulnerability; it is the path of avoidance rather than courageous action.
Historically, we discover surrender in the Renaissance through thinkers such as Erasmus, who celebrated the virtue of yielding one's will to God as the highest form of wisdom. In contrast, Machiavelli, with his pragmatic focus on power, viewed quitting as the ultimate failure of character, the inability to persevere in the pursuit of one's objectives. Erasmus saw surrender as an opportunity to participate in God’s divine order by placing our trust in the goodness of God, while quitting was perceived as the forfeiture of one's God-given purpose.
There is victory in surrender but only loss in quitting! The differences between quitting and surrender are ultimately matters of the heart's posture. To quit is to close a door, to refuse the possibility of redemption, growth, and purpose. It is the embrace of defeat, often driven by fear or fatigue. Quitting leads us to the wilderness, where our potential remains unfulfilled, and peace remains unattained.
Surrender, however, is an act of profound courage. It is the choice to trust in God's providence and lay down our limited agenda in favor of His eternal plan. Surrender is not the end; it is the beginning of true freedom and divine purpose. It is the gateway to genuine victory — a victory that might not always look like triumph in the eyes of the world but is undeniably marked by peace, fulfillment, and alignment with the will of God.
The apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, beautifully encapsulates this truth when he writes, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" Surrendering to God's power means recognizing our own weakness and trusting that His strength will sustain us. Quitting, on the other hand, denies this divine exchange, clinging instead to self-sufficiency and ultimately leading to despair.
The invitation to surrender is the invitation to rest in the power of God, a power far greater than our own. As Charles Spurgeon wisely noted, "Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing; we are ships without wind or chariots without steeds; like branches without sap, we are withered." Quitting is the refusal to journey onward; surrender is finding strength through submission and discovering that true victory is not found in the assertion of one's own will but in yielding to the One True and Living God whose will is perfect.
Surrender brings us into alignment with the Kingdom of God, where our lives are no longer our own but are hidden in Christ. It is through surrender that we find the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and experience the fullness of life that Jesus promised (John 10:10). Quitting robs us of that promise, but surrender opens the door to a life of divine purpose, joy, and fulfillment.
It’s also interesting to view these concepts from a Jewish perspective to consider the differences between surrender and quitting further. In Hebrew thought, the idea of "surrender" doesn’t have a direct equivalent as it might in English, where it often connotes defeat or giving up. Instead, the Jewish understanding is more aligned with submission or yielding (הִתְכַּנְּעוּת, hitkanut) to God’s divine will, reflecting trust in God's sovereignty and wisdom. Jewish teachings emphasize bitachon (בִּטָּחוֹן), or complete trust in God, which involves aligning oneself with God’s will rather than yielding from weariness or doubt.
Contrasting surrender with "quitting" on God's promise, Jewish teachings often caution against ye'ush (יֵאוּשׁ), a term for despair or giving up. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov famously taught that despair is the enemy of faith, as it separates one from hope and God’s promise. Surrendering to God's will is considered an act of faith, embracing the journey and trusting that God will fulfill His promises in His time, even if the outcomes are unseen or seem delayed. By contrast, quitting on God’s promise is seen as a spiritual disengagement, a lapse in trust that ultimately distances the believer from fulfilling God's promises.
The difference is profound: surrendering to God’s will is an active, faith-filled submission while quitting on God's promise is viewed as yielding to doubt. This is why students of the Torah and students of Jesus’ Gospel find oneness in theological doctrine regarding these subjects: surrendering to God’s will encourages us to forge in our character the integrity of enduring commitment and forge in us a nature that is always seeking to be aligned with God’s purpose first and foremost.
Dr. Wendell Hutchins II
Assistant General Overseer