Tenacity is an attribute every believer and child of God must cultivate in his or her life. It is the refusal to give up, the ability to keep going no matter the hurdles, temptations and trials thrown at your face.

God has called us to follow him with tenacity and spiritual doggedness. This is expressed in the Bible when Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow him. (Matthew 16:24) We must remember that with every obedience to God, there is a blessing attached.

Today, God is calling us to follow him with a tenacious heart and in this blogpost, we shall highlight the many ways to build tenacity in our pursuits for God.

1. REFUSAL TO GIVE UP – 

Matthew 6:33 –  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

As a lover of God who wants to build a life of tenacity in their pursuits for God, we must refuse to give up seeking the face of God. We must continually and always seek to do and obey the will of God, no matter how harsh the conditions may seem. 

When we develop the art of refusing to give up or give in to the whims of the devil, or life’s temptation to drop the faith of our Lord Jesus, we are one step closer to becoming a tenacious child of God. 

2. SPIRITUAL DOGGEDNESS – 

Another sure way of building tenacity is by exercising spiritual doggedness. What this means is that we must actively involve ourselves in spiritual things. We must go on spiritual exercises like fasting, praying always, and building our capacity in the spirit. 

These things will help us build tenacity and the capacity to last in the kingdom regardless of the storms that are flung our way. (Matthew 17:21, 1Thesselonians 5:17)

Note – We must be willing to do the work and be dead to sin and the whims of the flesh. When you do these exercises consistently, you are able to rise above the dust and soar in your Christian experiences.

3. RISING FROM THE DUST OF YOUR PAIN – 

As we walk through our journey with God, some experiences are bound to test our faith and hurt us more than we’d like or expect. 

The Bible tells us that our strength is small if we faint on the day of Adversity. (Proverbs 24:10) Which also informs us that there is no escaping the day of adversity. 

Our Lord Jesus cemented that fact by informing us of the trials and persecutions we must face as believers. (John 15:20) A tenacious believer should be able to rise above the pain and hurdles of life. 

Such a person will not murmur or faint in the day of adversity – Just like the account of Job, who never sinned or charged God foolishly when evil befell him. (Job 1:22)

We must take a cue from Job and obtain the grace to stand in faith no matter the pain, discomfort, and crucifixion we might face in this journey. 

To many, this might sound impossible and downright fearful, but with God, nothing is impossible, and by his grace, we shall overcome. 

4. SERVING IN DISCOMFORT –

Many believers are afraid of pain. Some even believe that after surrendering their lives to Jesus, they subscribed to a world free of pain and struggles. 

This mindset couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

We must understand that God does not promise us a life void of pain. Instead, he assures us of victory over all the whims of the wicked. 

Remember, when Jesus and his disciples set out on a journey to the other side, the storm came – even with the presence of Jesus in the boat. This makes us understand that the presence of Jesus in your life does not mean there will be no more storms. 

Instead, it assures us that the storms will not swallow or overcome us. A practical example from the Bible is when the Psalmist says, “Yeah thou I walk through the valleys and shadows of death, I fear no evil, for thou art with me.” (Psalm 23:4)

We only need to confirm that Jesus is in the boat with us whenever we face storms. Because you might fail alone, but you cannot fail with Jesus in the boat. With him, victory is assured. 

The above paragraph is a word for someone who has been serving the Lord in barrenness, setback, pain, and all problems of life. Do not give up now. God is calling you to be tenacious, to trust and serve him more. He will bring you to that expected end you desire. 

Do not give up on God. He has not given up on you. 

Note – The discomfort is just a Phase. Just like Sarah and Abraham’s childlessness. One day the Lord will visit you as he has said and bring his promise to pass in your life. 

While you wait for his coming, you must keep the faith and make sure that when the Lord does come, he will not find you wanting. (Luke 18:8)

5. COMMITMENT – BEING UP AND DOING REGARDLESS THE STATE OF YOUR LIFE.

A tenacious believer is a committed believer. One who remains committed to his pursuits of God no matter the circumstances of life. 

It is no ordinary feat for a human to remain committed to the things of God because it is in our natural composition to covet the things of this world, which is never in alignment with the things of God. 

It is human nature to be fickle and changing. A natural side of us that makes us require tenacity to commit to a life of faith, and prioritize our walk and work for God despite the many things that demand our time and attention.

We must be able to pattern our lives in such a way that leaves time out for God and our walk with him. 

6. RESIST THE TEMPTATION OF SIN:

During our walk with God, we are bound to come across temptations from the enemy who seeks to cause us to sin against God. A tenacious believer is one who is always in tune with the spirit of God. One that resists and defeats Satan’s traps of sin. 

Remember, the Bible adjoins us to resist the Devil and he shall flee from us (James 4:7). We must be aware, agile and alert in the Spirit. We must identify our triggers and obtain grace to scale through every temptation thrown our way. 

For example, a believer who is easily aggravated could face a series of situations tailor-made by the Devil to force that person into the sin of anger. 

Such a person needs tenacity and spiritual doggedness to identify the enemy’s ploys and defeat the devil. To be a tenacious Christian, we must obtain grace to live righteously and defeat sin permanently.

7. TALK TO GOD AND PEOPLE –  

1 Peter 5:7 – Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Sometimes, it can be very difficult to open up about the challenges we face. Some even think it as a show of weakness to speak about the problems that encompass us. Sadly, some even take on this character and approach in their relationship with God. 

Through this message, God is telling us that tenacity is the grace to cast all our burdens at the feet of Jesus. The strength to come to him, believing he is the only one who can address our needs and make our joy full. 

Are you going through something tough? God is reminding you that he is your strength and all you need to scale through tenaciously. (Psalm 28:7)

Go to the Lord in prayers and let his spirit guide you to shepherds after his heart. Develop the courage to speak to them and seek counselling as regards your situation. God will never disappoint you.

Remember, God is waiting for your call. (Jeremiah 33:3) He is ready to provide solutions to every life circumstance. Call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be saved. 

Note – When you talk to God, he takes away the burden. A closed mouth is a closed destiny. Take a step of faith and speak to God about that issue in prayers. You will overcome. 

8. THE ABILITY TO RETURN:

One of the hardest things for a believer who was once standing in the faith is to return to the Lord. Tenacity might primarily mean obtaining staying power, but in this context, we see that tenacity can also mean obtaining the grace to return to the Lord. 

Like a prodigal son, we must return to the Lord with a heart willing to do what it takes to begin a new era of a flourishing relationship with God. (Luke 15:18)

We must know that it is very easy to decline in faith and backslide, but the hardest thing to do is to return to the Lord despite all the accusations and condemnations the devil has levied against you. 

As we see in the parable of the prodigal son, God is always waiting with open arms, ready to receive anyone who has ventured away from him. He loves us too much to cast us away. He gave his son to us. God is that good shepherd who will leave the 99 and chase after the one lost. (John 3:16, Luke 15:20)

Do not let the Devil stop you from returning to the Father! Be tenacious and repent from whatever sin you are into. Return to the Lord today! He is willing to give you a new beginning. 

Be tenacious, my friend! Don’t disappoint him!

Do you want to begin a new relationship with God? Say this prayer –

“My Father in heaven. I come before you in the name of our Lord Jesus. I confess that I have sinned and I repent from all my wrongdoings. I pray that you show me mercy and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Make me a true child of God and launch me into a new relationship with you as my Lord and personal saviour. Amen.”

9. PRAY FOR THE GRACE – 

Matthew 7:7 –  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

No one can be a tenacious believer without the help of God. We must acknowledge that without God we can do nothing and pray earnestly for the grace to implement these steps and build a tenacious life in Jesus Christ. 

Prayer – May God grant us grace to be tenacious and follow after his heart in Jesus name. Amen. 

Drop a comment of other ways one can build a tenacious life as a child of God. Bless a life!