As a kid, I spent a lot of time fishing. This wasn’t always because I wanted to, but it so happens that it was one of my dad’s favorite activities, so we were out on the boat a lot. Sometimes my Grandpa Schuller got in on the action, and the three of us would spend hours chewing the fat and waiting for the fish to bite. Of course, being a child, those stretches often felt interminable, and sometimes it seemed as if there just weren’t any more creatures in the sea. However, if we sat there long enough, inevitably there would be a bite on someone’s line, and the excitement in that moment made the long process worthwhile. Like anything in life, a prize comes only after we exercise patience. In this vein, I love the old quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that says, “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” You see, a willingness to keep at something when the going gets tough separates the good from the great. We all have things we want to accomplish, and we all have seasons when what we’re working toward is delayed. In such moments, the devil tempts us to quit — to take our pole out of the water and go home — but we have to remember that faithful endurance earns the reward. With the Lord’s help, we can accomplish anything; the key is that we must embrace the process, even if it’s longer than we would like it to be.

My friend, whatever it is that’s tempting you to “throw in the towel,” don’t let it get you down. You serve a mighty, miracle-working, mountain-moving God, and He wants to show you just how amazing He is. Though you may not perceive forward progress, He never stops working, and He’s simply asking you to cooperate with His greater plan by not giving up. Even if you’re bored, discouraged, or tired, keep your pole in the water, and refuse to quit. Jesus is on your side, and with your hand in His, you can move ahead and accomplish anything He leads you to!