I Refuse to Give Up

Read

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Think

There comes a moment in every fight—spiritual, emotional, even physical—where giving up feels like the only reasonable option. You’re tired. Discouraged. Worn thin. And you start to wonder, “What’s the point?” Maybe you’ve been praying and nothing’s changing. Maybe you’re trying to do what’s right, and it’s only getting harder. Paul knew that space well. He wrote these words from a life full of struggle—shipwrecks, betrayal, prison, illness. Not metaphorical hardship. Real, body-breaking, soul-testing suffering. And yet his words ring with unshakable grit: “We are hard pressed… but not crushed.”

That’s the tension of the Gospel life. You can be pressed and preserved. Knocked down but still standing. Not because you’re naturally tough, but because the Spirit of God is tougher still. This is not some kind of spiritual denial. Paul admits it plainly: we’re perplexed, persecuted, struck down. He doesn’t sugarcoat the pain. But he also doesn’t surrender to it. Why? Because he knows where his hope comes from—and it’s not his own willpower.

Your strength was never meant to be the headline. God’s faithfulness is. That’s what carries you when your energy is gone. That’s what holds you together when everything else is falling apart. The enemy wants you to believe that being tired means being defeated. But those are not the same thing. Exhaustion is real. But so is resurrection. And maybe that’s the truth you need most today: You are not done just because you feel done. Feelings are not finish lines. God’s Word is. And it says that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you.

You may be limping, but you’re still moving. You may be crying, but you’re still showing up. That counts. That matters. And it puts hell on notice that you are not giving up. Because perseverance isn’t just about pushing through—sometimes it’s about planting your feet and saying, “I’m still here. I’m not quitting. God’s not finished.”

Faith doesn’t always feel like fire. Sometimes it’s just stubborn obedience in the dark. But that kind of faith? That’s where miracles begin. That’s where character is formed. That’s where joy gets rooted in something unshakable. And maybe you’ve been believing a quiet lie that strength is proven by how little you struggle. But God measures strength differently. Strength in the kingdom is revealed not by invincibility, but by dependence. Not by never falling, but by getting up again—because you trust the One who walks beside you. What if grit, for the believer, is really just grace with muscle? The holy refusal to quit, not because you’re so strong, but because God is holding you even when you can’t hold yourself?

If today feels like too much—take one more step. Breathe one more prayer. Whisper one more “yes.” Not because you feel strong, but because God is strong in you. And don’t underestimate the impact of your persistence. Someone is watching—your kids, your friend, your small group, your neighbor. Every time you don’t quit, you remind them they don’t have to either. You’re not just pressing on for your sake. You’re blazing a trail of faith for others to follow. You may be pressed, but you are not crushed. You are not quitting. And this is not the end.

Apply

Stand up. Seriously—right now. Say out loud (even if it’s quiet): “I will not give up. I may feel weak, but God is strong in me. I’m not quitting, because he’s not done.” Let your body preach what your heart is starting to believe.

Pray

God, I’m tired. But I’m not done. I choose to trust your strength over mine. When I feel pressed, remind me I’m not crushed. When I feel knocked down, lift me up again. You are with me—and I will not give up. In Jesus’ name. Amen.