Defy the Quit Option!

Never quit! Never take no for an answer! It doesn't matter the weight of diametrically opposed and counteracting forces, existential predicaments, or a desolate and miserably grim present state of affairs. We will rise to the very highest level possible in our chosen field. We will break all limitations. This declaration is our eternally binding covenant sealed by the Blood of the Lamb.

On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less than twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs remained alive.

In the book “Lone Survivor”, Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of this operation (Operation Redwing), tells the story of the desperate battle in the Afghan mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. But it is also, more than anything, the story of his teammates, who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left-blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers.

There is an undeniable innate desire for greatness on the inside of every living human. Without exception (no matter how concealed, repressed or de-emphasized), 6.5 billion of us are obsessed with obtaining some measure of recognition, admiration, respect, veneration, reverence and esteem from the members of our community and human-sphere. This desire in and of itself is totally legitimate because we as offspring, inherited it by design from our progenitor, pre-cursor, Lord, creator, paramount ruler of the universe and architect of all matter and energy in all its existential forms (including spiritual energy). 

Sonship has a much deeper meaning than is generally associated with it. 

To be a son means to have the nature and character of a forbearer. (This explains why some biological parents denounce offspring that willingly take an acute detour away from the nature and character that was presented to, and expected of their wards.) The Father spoke to Jesus during the transfiguration and said “This is my beloved Son. Hear ye him.” This event happened deep into the ministry of Jesus when He was about concluding it. God was in essence issuing a divine score-card and validating (based on visible and undeniable performance) the status, person, character and ministry of Jesus as a perfect, impeccable, flawless and exhaustive spectacle of divinity amongst humanity.

Therefore, for every member of the universe of rational, balanced and spiritually aware homo-sapiens (i.e. those that came from Yahweh; NOT from the chimpanzee or some big bang detonation), there is a substantive desire for greatness. This is normal. This is default. This is scriptural. This is undeniable. This is our nature.

Now, The ultimate measure of a man is where he stands in moments of difficulty, NOT moments of comfort or pleasure - MLK. If you fail in the day of adversity, your strength is weak – Holy Scripture. When push comes to shove and we are stretched beyond limit, should we capitulate? The human body is a colossally complex but yet assiduously adaptive machine that was designed to withstand near unfathomable extreme conditions. Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt, Roger Federer, William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Alexander the Great and the U.S. Navy SEAL have all taught us a few lessons on possibilities. Consequently, we must query and probe on why these men (and women) were able to do things that many of us couldn’t or simply would just not do. Were they hewn out of a tempered breed, or perhaps a special hybrid blessed with more talent than other living souls? The obvious answer is NO! Their difference was, is and will always be in their mind and spirit; something I would call a sturdy, stalwart, resilient and excellent spirit that defies and conquers ALL adversaries. Their minds operated rather differently from the expected or popular train of thought that prevailed in their day. Where others saw and professed under-achievement or the status quo, they dreamt and reached for opportunity and victory.

Navy SEALs are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force, a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

The unit's acronym ("SEAL") is derived from their capacity to operate at sea, in the air, and on land – but it is their ability to work underwater that separates SEALs from most other military units in the world. Navy SEALs are trained and have been deployed in a wide variety of missions, including direct action and special reconnaissance operations, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism and other missions. Without exception, all SEALs are male members of either the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard.

SEAL training is brutal. Prospective SEALs are subjected to an incredibly tough selection process that is meant to weed out chaff. It takes over 30 months to train a Navy SEAL to the point at which he will be ready for deployment. The SEALs that emerge are ready to handle pretty much any task they could be called on to perform, including diving, combat swimming, navigation, demolitions, weapons, and parachuting. The training pushes them to the limit both mentally and physically in order to weed out those who may not be able to successfully complete the demanding missions and operations with which SEALs are faced. The types of stresses they endure during BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) are the same stresses they will endure as SEALs. If they can't withstand it when lives aren't on the line, chances are good they won't be able to withstand it when lives are at stake.

Marcus Luttrell attributed his survival to his success at the grueling Navy SEAL training. The training was targeted at breaking the minds of trainees. If you succeeded at training with your mind intact, you were deemed ready for just about anything.  If Marcus had given up during training, he would never have stood a chance at surviving the real deal. His training instructors even warned him that if a trainee ever for once voiced out his frustration and desire to quit, that trainee always ended up relinquishing the Navy SEAL dream. In this game, the moment you open your mouth in frustration, you prove you are unfit for the calling.

My direct questions to you are these: Do you have a breaking point? Are there conditions that would warrant you giving up? If the situation demands waiting almost indefinitely, will you give in? Do you lack the ability to survive and thrive anywhere? Does your patience run out easily? Does the experience of those around you define what your viewpoint is? Has your backward or indigent background skewed your worldview in this present day? Is the word “impossible” in your lingua franca?

If you answered YES to any of the questions above, you are NOT ready for Super Achievement. You should be content walking in the path already threaded by others.

We must utterly understand that the greatest treasure that man has is his faith. What can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trials, tribulations or even angels? In the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews, we learn that by faith, men stopped the mouths of lions, men obtained a good report, women had their dead raised to life, disciples suffered extreme persecution, Enoch was caught up into heaven, Noah kicked off the ark project 100 years ahead of the flood,  Abraham searched for the city whose Architect and Builder is God, Sarah obtained strength to conceive at 90 years of age, men were stoned to death, some were sawn asunder, others were slaughtered by the sword, but YET, ALL DIED IN FAITH HAVING NOT RECEIVED THE PROMISE!

If these men and women accomplished unfathomable things but still didn’t receive the promise that their faith envisioned, then the empirical and logical deduction is that their faith saw far exceedingly beyond the great miracles they obtained. In simple terms, their faith delivered great results, but they all died in faith because what their faith originally anticipated was incomparably greater than the promise and results they obtained in their life time. 

This realm of faith has one description. It is called boundless faith.

So I ask again: is there anything that is capable of invalidating, extinguishing or paralyzing your faith? I pray for you (and myself) that our faith will not fail. (Now we know what Jesus meant when he prayed the same for Peter).

Shalom!