Tenacity Is Faith That Keeps Showing Up

Real talk time...

How many times have you faced something difficult and whispered, shouted, or dramatically sighed:

“I wish this were easier.”

If your answer is fewer than 100 times, congratulations. You may be a superhero. Please send us your training program and your preferred brand of cape.

The rest of us understand.

We know hard work can strengthen us. We know challenges can shape our character. We have heard the quotes:

“If it were easy, everyone would do it.”

“What doesn’t break you makes you stronger.”

“The obstacle is not in your way. The obstacle is the way.”

And one of my personal favorites:

“Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better.”

I believe those words.

But can we be honest with each other?

There are seasons when the hard things do not arrive one at a time. They form a committee. They schedule weekly meetings. Then, just when you think you have solved one problem, it comes strolling back into your life like it forgot its jacket.

When the Battle Comes Back

I have never experienced more relentless resistance than when I stepped out to begin something new, especially when that step came from following the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

You obey.

You take the step.

You pray.

You work.

You solve the problem.

Then, two weeks later, there it is again.

Same battle. New outfit.

That can be deeply discouraging because we often assume victory should be permanent. We think, “I already dealt with this. Why am I facing it again?”

But facing the same battle does not always mean your first victory was meaningless.

It may mean that victory was training.

When an old struggle returns, it is easy to believe you are back at the beginning.

You are not.

You are returning with experience.

You now recognize the warning signs. You understand where you became distracted. You know what helped, what hurt, and what absolutely did not work, no matter how good it sounded at the time.

You have more wisdom.

You have stronger faith.

You have proof that you survived the last round.

That matters.

A temporary win may not mean the battle is finished, but every little victory moves you closer to lasting success.

The first victory teaches you that the battle can be won.

The next victory teaches you how to keep it won.

This is where I have to flip the script, adjust my attitude, surrender my expectations, and lean into one powerful word:

Tenacity.

Tenacity does not mean pretending you are never tired.

It does not mean smiling while everything around you is on fire and saying, “Well, this is delightful.”

Tenacity means you keep showing up, even when showing up feels harder than it did yesterday.

It means you pray again.

You make the call again.

You begin the conversation again.

You set the boundary again.

You forgive again.

You try the new approach.

You trust God again.

1 Peter 5:10 reminds us, “And the God of all grace… after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Scripture doesn’t promise we’ll never feel weary. It calls us to keep going, even when we do.

There is a difference.

Maybe your recurring battle involves fear, health, finances, temptation, disappointment, parenting, leadership, or a dream that seems determined to test every ounce of patience you possess.

Please hear this:

The battle returning does not mean God has abandoned you.

It does not mean you lack faith.

It does not mean you have failed.

Sometimes, God does His deepest work in the places where we must choose Him repeatedly.

The repeated battle builds repeated dependence.

Repeated dependence builds trust.

Trust builds strength.

And strength, anchored in God, produces the kind of tenacity that difficulty cannot easily shake.

Your Next Faithful Move

What battle are you tired of fighting?

Name it.

Then ask yourself:

What did the last round teach me that can help me fight this one differently?

Do not focus on winning the entire war before bedtime. Choose your next faithful move.

You may have to fight the same battle more than once before you win it, but you do not have to fight it as the same person.

You are growing.

You are learning.

You are becoming stronger.

And God is still working.

So, friend, take a breath. Straighten your shoulders. Pick up your faith and step forward again.

This battle may have resurrection power, but by God’s grace, so do you.

Keep fighting the good fight with faith, courage, and tenacity,

Your friend,
Brock

P.S. If the same problem has shown up at your door again, do not panic. You have met this troublemaker before, and this time you know where it likes to hide. Bring your faith, bring your wisdom, and maybe bring a little extraordinary chocolate. Battles are serious business, but nobody said we had to face them hungry.