Quitting Sounds Good

The hidden cost of walking away that no one talks about.

Laura Balbo
September 11, 2025

Have you ever started working out after not for a while and the next day you are really sore? The kind of sore that makes you not be able to stand up without a groan?

When that happens, sometimes we are tempted to stop.

It can make it really challenging to continue to go back again and again knowing you are going to be sore again.

But if you can see past the soreness, you keep showing up, because you know it’s making you better.

The same thing happens with the seasons of life that are painful.

If you've read the blog “The Struggle Feels Real: But Worth It”, you know this truth:
Painful seasons refine us.
God isn’t punishing you—He’s forming you.

But let’s be real.
Even when we know that… there’s still this urge to get out of pain, to stop.

When Hard Feels Overwhelming

As business owners and leaders, we’re taught to:

Pivot fast
Move on if it’s not working
Protect our energy
Keep ourselves safe

So when things get hard—when finances tighten, vision clouds, or leadership feels lonely—our reflex is often:

Maybe I should do something different.

We call it “wisdom.”
We call it “strategy.”
But if we’re honest, a lot of times, it’s just fear.

And I say that from experience.

A Personal Confession

There are days I want to quit being a business owner because it can feel hard.

Not because I hate the work.
Not because I don’t believe in the assignment.
But because it feels too costly. Too hard. Too unknown.

But God has been gently confronting that instinct in me.

Because as I sit with Scripture—especially the Psalms—I see something different in the people God uses.

I see people who:

Walk through the valley without turning back
Lead when it’s unpopular and misunderstood
Keep showing up, even when they feel unseen

Understanding Covenant Reminds You to Keep Going

The ancient Israelites weren’t formed by comfort.
They were formed by covenant.

They didn’t interpret struggle as a signal to escape.
They interpreted it as a space God might be present in.

Covenant reminded them:

“You don’t leave just because it’s hard. You stay faithful because you’re in relationship.”

They were raised to believe:

God’s covering goes with you through hardship
Discipline doesn’t mean abandonment
Formation often looks like fire

The fire doesn’t prove you’re failing.
The fire proves you’re becoming.

Running Is a Learned Reflex

Here’s the truth that hit me square in the chest:

Just because I feel like running doesn’t mean I should.

Running is often a reflex–our way of protecting ourselves when we feel vulnerable or exposed.

But the Kingdom doesn’t operate on self-protection.
It operates on trust and obedience.

When I run from difficulty, I’m not just avoiding discomfort.
I’m risking walking away from what God is trying to do in me.

What the Psalms Teach Us About Staying

Psalm 5 and so many others show David doing something powerful:

He doesn’t numb.
He doesn’t run.
He pours out his heart to God—and then waits.

“In the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly.”
— Psalm 5:3 (verse 4 in the CJB)

David wasn’t pretending to love the pressure.
But he knew where to take it.

And he trusted God more than his own impulse to run.

Living In Covenant Means We Trust Our Father’s Process

You’re not just a business owner.
You’re a son or daughter under covenant.

And when a parent loves their child, they don’t remove every discomfort.
They let them grow.

They guide.
They shape.
They protect—but don’t overprotect—because they know who the child is becoming.

That’s what God does for you.

And if He assigned you to something,
then He’ll cover you in it—
if you stay under His covering.

What If We Didn’t Run?

What if we stayed?

Stayed in the fire long enough to be refined.
Stayed in the assignment long enough to bear fruit.
Stayed in prayer long enough to be changed.
Stayed in the season even when we want out.

Because here’s what I believe with everything in me:

We don’t grow because it’s easy.
We grow because we stayed when it wasn’t.

And when we stay—when we submit our plans, our emotions, and our business to the Father who sees all—He doesn’t just rescue us from the pressure…

He strengthens us in it.

Remember, in every season, your business is His. It always has been.

He is choosing to use you to steward it.

He is choosing to use it to grow you.

So don’t run—stay. God is with you in the fire, and He is forming something in you that comfort never could.