Building Grit: How Resilience Became My Secret Weapon

Resilience is the ability to adapt and bounce back from challenges, setbacks, or adversity. It means staying strong, learning from difficult experiences, and continuing to move forward even when things get tough.

Here in Zimbabwe, resilience isn’t just a concept; it’s something you live. Grit is that determination to keep moving even when everything falls apart and nothing is going according to plan. Life tests you in ways you never expect, and sometimes your response writes a story you’ll remember for years.

I remember one night in Kwekwe that showed me what real resilience looks like. I had organized an all-night prayer event and invited people from all over Gweru and Kwekwe. Our main guest was a respected pastor, but just as people were arriving and I thought everything was set, she called to say she couldn’t make it. She genuinely needed to attend to unexpected visitors. At that moment, my heart sank. The event was already in motion. How do you fix that, when the main act cancels at the very last minute?

She sent a replacement. At first, I wasn’t sure it would work, but I pressed on—because sometimes, that’s all you can do. That night ended up being one of the most powerful all-nights I’ve ever witnessed. The replacement preacher brought a fire that surprised everyone, and by morning, deliverance prayers were going on. I’ll never forget one moment: a demon stubbornly refused to come out during prayer. People kept praying, and the struggle went on until the person being prayed for actually fainted. It was tense, exhausting, and not what anyone expected.

After we placed the person in my car, ready to head home, that’s when my car broke down. There we were, stuck in the aftermath of a spiritual battle, tired and a little overwhelmed. But with Pastor Mafotla and other fellow youth leaders, we didn’t give up. We found a way to fix the car, and Pastor Mafotla himself drove us all the way back to Gweru. It wasn’t the event I’d planned—but looking back, I see how much was gained through the chaos and setbacks.

This is the heart of grit: not that things always go your way, but that you keep going anyway. It’s about standing tall when your plans collapse, trusting God to work in the madness, and letting each test build your inner strength. The people who endure aren’t always the strongest at the start—they’re the ones who choose to get up, again and again, no matter how many times they fall.

Proverbs says, “Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.” (Proverbs 24:16) Resilience isn’t about a perfect record—it’s about refusing to stay down, no matter how complicated, spiritual, or unexpected the challenges become. Even when the night seems like it’s falling apart, sometimes that’s when you see just how strong you’ve become.

In the end, resilience is the secret weapon. It takes disappointments and turns them into stories of breakthrough. It turns failure into testimony and struggle into strength. Keep building your grit—because sometimes, the toughest nights lead to the biggest lessons you’ll ever learn.