Have you ever felt like you just can’t seem to win? Or like everything and everyone seems to be against you? Like even the little things in your life can’t seem to go right when the big things have all gone to garbage?

Sometimes, I just… want a win. Just one. Or at least that’s what my feelings tell me I need.

So, how do we keep going when it feels like we just can’t get a win today?

1. Remember we win in the end. I know: it’s sounds like something an old-time preacher would shout to get an extra “Amen” in a sermon, right? But it’s the truth! 1 Timothy 6:12 puts it this way, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” When we remember that ultimately, our God wins and that ultimately this is His fight, it gives us just a little boost of strength and energy to keep going. It helps square back our shoulders and lifts our heads just enough to keep us headed forward into the battle. Coffee spill everywhere on your way out the door? At least Jesus wins. All your co-workers wear their cranky pants today? At least Jesus wins. Get some sad news you weren’t expecting? Jesus promised that He will redeem that pain, girl. Jesus wins and because He wins in the end, we get our giant win to look forward to as well. What happens to us in the temporal world matters so little to our eternal wins.
2. Remember who and what we’re fighting for. Sometimes our bodies and minds wear down because we lose sight of our priorities. We’re in the battle, but we’ve forgotten why. Why are we fighting so hard to not only get through our day, but to thrive throughout our day? Oh, yeah — the cute kid, sweet husband, and Jesus! Why are we pushing for the win? If it’s for our own pride, our own gain, our own value, or our own hearts, we’re not going to endure hardness the way we would when it’s for our Saviour, our family, our friends, and the love of our neighbors. Our whos and our whys matter because they’re our greatest motivators towards victory. When kings back in Bible times would go to battle, it was always for a greater cause than “just because.” It was to bring honor to their land, freedom to their people, and victory to their God. Even David, when faced with Goliath, questioned, “Is there not a cause?”
3. Remember that not every battle’s going to be a win. Job lost his kids, health, and wealth. David lost a faithful man in Uriah. Ruth and Naomi lost their husbands. Israel lost communication with God for about 500 years. In the end, they each got their eternal wins, but they all lost some temporal battles. The important part is that when they lost a battle, they didn’t quit the war. They kept moving forward towards their God-led destinies! Erwin McManus put it this way in his book The Last Arrow, “If failure is our inevitable future, then let’s fail boldy, and fail forward.” Sure, sometimes it feels like everything we do fails, but ultimately we will win some and lose some. We cannot, as God’s daughters, give up when we lose the little battles. We are commanded, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” Hard things come and then they go: we must keep moving forward. I love that quote that says, “She believed that she couldn’t, so she trusted that God could and He did.” We don’t need to win every battle if we know that He can help us endure the losses and strive for the next win.
4. Remember your weapons when you’re feeling battle-weary. Sometimes, we keep trying to fight our battles with our bare hands and then wonder why we’re not getting anywhere. God gave us power through His Spirit, but if we never talk to Him, how do we access it? God gave us a Sword through His Word, but if we never read it, how do we cut through the hard places? God gave us an Example through Christ’s life, but if we never consider Him in our ways, how do we even know which way to face in our battles? God gave us a shield through faith, but if we never step out without seeing what’s going to protect us first, how will we ever gain ground or protect our hearts?

It might feel like you and I just can’t win right now, but if we just endure this temporary hardness that’s pushing itself into our lives, we will come out with a win. Just keep fighting: don’t give up. Don’t give up. Don’t give up.