Faith and Persistence Go Hand in Hand

by Rick Warren — October 11, 2022
From Radicalis: Developing Spiritual Roots

“It was by faith that Moses left Egypt and was not afraid of the king’s anger. Moses continued strong as if he could see the God that no one can see.”

Hebrews 11:27 (NCV)

There is a strong belief in our culture that if it feels good, do it. That influences every one of us, whether we want it to or not. But when you allow yourself to be manipulated by your moods, you are living your life according to your feelings.

But God wants you to live a different kind of life—a life of faith, not just a life of feeling. The truth is, I don’t always feel like doing the right thing. I’m sure you don’t either. But God can give you the kind of faith that persists above feelings.

If you look around, you’ll see that successful people do things they don’t feel like doing. They get tired of going through the motions and want to do things differently. They do the things that other people aren’t willing to do.

You can’t be an Olympic athlete unless you spend the extra hours training. You can’t be a master musician unless you spend many hours practicing.

The same principle is true for being a mature, godly Christian. If you want to deepen your relationship with God, you have to spend time with him, even when you don’t feel like it. Do you know people who really enjoy their time with God? That’s because they persisted in spending time with God, even when they didn’t feel like it.

Faith and persistence go hand in hand. Faith means you don’t give up even when you’re tired. Faith means you just won’t quit. When you’re living in faith, you’re persisting.

Moses was a great example of a life lived in faithful persistence. Hebrews 11:27 says, “It was by faith that Moses left Egypt and was not afraid of the king’s anger. Moses continued strong as if he could see the God that no one can see” (NCV).

Moses realized this important truth: You can only accomplish the impossible when you see the invisible.

God will give you strength to persevere. He’ll give you the power to keep working on the marriage that seems hopeless. He will give you the power to pick yourself up when you’ve fallen. He can give you the power to keep going when you’re on the edge of bankruptcy. He’ll give you the power to keep your convictions when all the pressure around you says to give in.

The key to faith is to be persistent. Keep your eyes on God, not on your problem.

God’s power to keep going is always there for you. You just need to ask him for it.

Talk It Over

  • Is there an area of your life where you’re tempted to give up? Talk about it with people who care about you.
  • What obstacle tends to limit your determination and persistence? Physical exhaustion? Overcoming frustration? Baggage from your past?
  • What new habits could help you overcome that obstacle?

Have you placed your faith in Jesus?

The Bible says we can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. We cannot earn our way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

If you’re ready to accept God’s gift and to trust Jesus, start with this prayer:

“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in Jesus, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess my sin, and I submit to Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Jesus, I want to follow you and serve you. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In your name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at [email protected] and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.


Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.