How to Persevere When You Feel Like Giving Up on Your Calling

“Do not despise the day of small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” | Zechariah 4:10

Has God placed a dream in your heart, a vision in your soul, or a mission in your life that feels big? Maybe it feels both exciting and daunting at the same time. Perhaps you’re looking ahead at the big picture, longing for the final results. ..maybe you’re even a tad bit frustrated that you aren’t further along in the big vision.

I get it.

Persevere; don’t give up

Lately, I’ve been going through a major tug-of-war with a couple of specific dreams and callings in my life. The first is my writing. Trying to keep up with two blogs, which entails a whole lot of behind-the-scenes work (making images, managing Social Media, SEO, etc.) all while attempting to work on my first book manuscript (eek!), has been taking a bit of a toll. On top of that, we’re in the middle of a foster care and (maybe!) adoption process with a few additional curveballs being thrown into the mix. These are all things that I’ve felt I (we) are called to do, but lately–well, I feel a little bit like just giving up. I haven’t been seeing the results I would like to with my writing and the temptation to give up keeps toying with my emotions. And foster care? Well, it’s hard. Both are callings I believe God has placed on me, but even knowing that doesn’t keep me from wanting to give up when things get hard. However, I keep coming across the message of perseverance and persistence. Suddenly, it seems the admonition to persevere is everywhere.

First, a guest speaker at our church shared the following quote from former President Coolidge:

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. -Calvin Coolidge

Then, just a couple of days later, an email list I’m subscribed to included the exact quote in their weekly newsletter.  Over the course of the next week, the word kept popping up in random places. I was NOT searching for how to persevere, rather, I was secretly hoping that God would release me from the call of writing and make a few other things in my life a tad bit easier! But as the message kept showing up, I had to admit God was trying to get my attention.

Ok, Lord, I get it…I’m supposed to persevere. But how am I supposed to keep on when all I want to do is give up?

After poking around the internet for a little bit, I realized that I am certainly not alone in this wondering, and maybe you’re feeling like giving up, too. Maybe, like me, you’ve been tempted to give up on your calling. If so, perhaps what I have learned will help you, too:

Inspiration to Help You Persevere When You Feel Like Giving Up

Whatever *the thing* is that you want to accomplish, or that change you want to make, or the dream in your heart you wish to see become a reality, or that big obstacle that seems impossible to overcome–whatever “it” is, it will take perseverance to see it through.

In the instant-gratification world, we now live in, persistence and determination don’t always appeal to us. Patience and endurance aren’t as valued as they once were. We’d rather see immediate results, wishing to “arrive” without putting in the required work. This is an unhealthy attitude, but it’s a mindset that overshadows our society so much that it might personally affect us more than we realize.

Stop Dreaming; Start Doing

We can dream about our goals all we want, but until we make the jump from dreaming to doing, we’re not going to see an inch of progress! Sometimes, we feel like giving up because we haven’t made an action plan to take us from dreaming and thinking about what we want to do and actually doing it. Sometimes all our thinking about it tricks us into believing we have been working at it more than we have.

Or, even if we are doing something, if we feel like giving up it might be because we are doing the wrong things, or trying to do everything all at once and are burning out.

Instead of doing “all the things” poorly, try and break down the bigger picture into small action steps. Begin with where you’d like to be or what you’d like to have accomplished in a year. Then, break it down into realistic tasks– month by month, week by week, and finally, day by day. Find a way to hold yourself accountable for these steps. A trusted friend, family member, or life coach can help keep you going when the temptation to give up creeps back in!

Take deliberate steps each day toward the end goal–not too much, but more than dreaming. Each step counts, no matter how small.

Small steps conquer big mountains; mountains are not scaled in one giant leap, they are conquered through small step after small step–and with a whole lot of determination and perseverance.

Rely on the Promises of God. He has called you; He will equip you with the strength to persevere

God’s word is FULL of admonition and encouragement to keep on keeping on. Here are a few passages to ponder:

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Romans 5:3-4 “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

James 1:2-4, 12 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast (or perseveres) under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Shift your perspective to see the value in endurance and hard work (aka: be a grown-up)

Attractive marketing makes us believe that success can happen overnight. This simply is not (or very rarely) reality. It takes honest, hard work to accomplish anything of substance. Even the most fruitful tree begins with just a tiny seed. Transformation happens over time through patient watering, tending, growing, and even pruning. It takes years before the tree produces a large harvest. The same goes for us. There is a purpose in keeping on through hard things. There is value to grit and determination. Refining takes place through the process of showing up each day. Committing to something and seeing it through to the end is becoming increasingly difficult in our society. Let’s not give in to the desire to quit when we’re just getting started.

Persevere and be transformed through the process

If you’re feeling impatient with your progress toward your calling, dreams, or goals,  I encourage you to lean into the process. Persevere. Learn. Grow. Keep on taking purposeful steps of faith toward that end goal, but don’t despise small beginnings or the process of persevering.

Often, the work God does through the process of “getting there” is as valuable as the final destination.

And just maybe, the purpose was never in the “bigger” vision. Perhaps, the purpose was actually in the process all along.

What call, vision, dreams, and goals has God given you? How are you persevering? I’d love to know. Share with us in the comments!