Let me tell you about the moment I almost quit.
It was three years into building something I believed God had called me to. The vision was clear. The early wins were exciting.
But the middle? The middle was brutal.
Growth had stalled. Key team members had left. The problems I thought I had solved kept coming back. I was exhausted, discouraged, and questioning whether I had heard God correctly in the first place.
I wanted to walk away. Not because I was lazy. But because the cost of continuing felt higher than the cost of quitting.
Persistence is the fourth and final Cornerstone of the Superhuman Framework. It is the grit to keep going when the feelings are gone. It is the difference between a “good idea” and a “God idea.”
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9
The promise of the harvest is conditional. It is reserved for those who do not give up.
Faithful Endurance vs. Stubborn Foolishness
We often hear “Winners never quit.” That is not true. Winners quit the wrong things all the time so they can focus on the right things.
The danger for leaders is confusing Persistence with Stubbornness. One honors God; the other destroys you.
| Stubborn Foolishness (Ego) | Faithful Endurance (Spirit) |
|---|---|
| Driven by: Pride (“I can't look like a failure”) | Driven by: Calling (“I must be faithful to the mission”) |
| Response to Counsel: Ignores advice; doubles down | Response to Counsel: Listens; pivots methods but keeps the mission |
| The Goal: To be Right | The Goal: To be Effective |
| Result: Burnout and broken relationships | Result: Maturity and eventually, harvest |
Check Yourself
Am I persisting because God told me to stay, or because I am too proud to admit something is not working?
The Anatomy of Quitting
Quitting rarely happens in a single moment. You do not just wake up one day and leave. It is a slow, silent slide. If you can recognize the stages, you can stop the slide before it is too late.
Disappointment
Reality fails to match your expectations. (The launch flopped; the hire did not work out). This is normal.
Action: Adjust expectations, do not abandon the mission.
Discouragement
Disappointment left untreated becomes an emotional weight. The energy drains. You start to dread Monday mornings.
Action: Seek encouragement and rest.
Doubt
The question shifts from “Is this working?” to “Was I called?” You start to question the origin of the mission.
Action: Go back to your “Ebenezer moments”: the times God clearly spoke.
Detachment
You are physically present, but spiritually checked out. You stop caring about the results. You go through the motions.
Action: This is the danger zone. You need intervention immediately.
Departure
The final act. You physically leave.
Check Yourself
Which stage are you in right now? Be honest.
When to Pivot vs. When to Persist
So, how do you know if you should keep pushing or change direction?
Persist When:
- The Calling is clear, but the circumstances are hard.
- You are running from difficulty rather than toward something better.
- Wise counsel says “Stay.”
- There is still fruit, even if it is small.
Pivot When:
- God is clearly closing doors (and locking them).
- Wise counsel unanimously says “Stop.”
- The cost is destroying things God values (your family, your health, your integrity).
- You are persisting only out of pride.
Where Staying Power Comes From
You cannot white-knuckle your way to a legacy. Willpower runs out. Coffee wears off.
Sustainable persistence comes from three places:
1. Clarity of Calling
If you know Why you are here, you can endure almost any How.
2. Community
“Two are better than one.” You cannot persist in isolation. You need people who will hold your arms up when you get tired (Exodus 17:12).
3. Celebrating Small Wins
Do not wait for the big harvest to celebrate. Celebrate the first green shoot. What you celebrate, you cultivate.
You Are Ready to Build
You have walked through the 4 Cornerstones:
Love (The Foundation), Purpose (The Anchor), Passion (The Fire), and Persistence (The Endurance).
Now that your roots are deep, it is time to look at the fruit. It is time to explore the 10 H-Pillars: the practical “How-To” of your daily leadership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Persistence is staying committed to a God-given mission while remaining flexible on methods. Stubbornness is rigidly holding onto your own plans regardless of evidence or wisdom. Persistence listens to counsel, learns from failure, and adjusts approach. Stubbornness refuses to change because changing feels like losing. The fruit reveals the root: persistence produces growth and fruit over time; stubbornness produces frustration and isolation.
Ask yourself: Am I running from difficulty or toward something better? Is this a test of faith or a redirection from God? Have I sought counsel from wise people? Is there still fruit, even if small? Quitting is right when God is clearly closing doors, when the cost to your family or health is unsustainable, or when wise counselors unanimously agree it is time. But do not quit simply because it is hard. Hard is not the same as wrong.
Grace covers past decisions. You cannot go back, but you can go forward differently. Learn from what happened without condemning yourself. Sometimes God uses our quitting to teach us perseverance for the next assignment. The goal is not perfection; it is growth. If you quit too soon before, let that experience fuel your resolve to stay longer next time.
Exhaustion is a signal, not a sin. First, distinguish between tired and done. Tired needs rest; done needs a decision. Build recovery into your persistence through Sabbath, delegation, and sustainable rhythms. Remember that God does not expect you to run on empty. Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is rest so you can persist longer.
Faith is the foundation of godly persistence. It allows you to keep going when you cannot see results because you trust the One who called you. Faith does not guarantee easy outcomes, but it guarantees that your labor is not in vain. When your persistence is rooted in faith rather than ego, you can endure longer because the outcome belongs to God, not you.