Winning

Giving up means never having to say you're sorry. If you give up, you tried. You failed, but you tried. It's not your fault that you were inadequate; you recognized the lack in you or the ill fit of what was expected. Then you quit.

Giving in suggests a sense of being overwhelmed. The need was too great for you to meet, or the energy you possessed wasn't enough, or the details were too vast to keep track of. You're are only human, not superhuman.

We prize highly those that don't quit, that persevere, that push through the obstacles to reach that goal. A quitter never wins, and a winner never quits. No pain, no gain. Never give up. The one who perseveres is lauded and admired. And true perseverance is praiseworthy.

The flip side of this tenacity is stubbornness. It is frequently seen and often viewed negatively. Tenacity is about holding on in face of difficulty, but stubbornness is about refusing to let go. How do we view stubbornness in biblical terms?

Tenacity: The Jews return from exile and rebuild their temple. When threatened, they work with one hand and hold a weapon with the other.

Stubbornness: Saul pursues David, hoping to kill him, even though God anointed him.