Weary or Persevering?

The first day of the 2026 NCAA Tournament is officially in the books, and it's one that many fans on Tobacco Road would undoubtedly love to forget. 

Although the Duke Blue Devils entered the tournament as the top overall seed and were nearly 30-point favorites over Siena in the first round, for much of the contest, it appeared that the Saints were on the verge of pulling off arguably the greatest tournament upset of all time.

Duke looked uncharacteristically sluggish and lacked crispness over the first 20 minutes, as Siena stormed out to an 11-point halftime lead. 

And though Duke gave its fans serious heart palpitations with how long it took the team to recover, the Blue Devils did eventually persevere, making the crucial plays down the stretch to eke out an uncomfortable 71-65 victory.

For the other team on Tobacco Road, however, it was a completely different story.

You wouldn’t have blamed any fans who prematurely turned off the opening round contest between North Carolina and VCU because they assumed that the Tar Heels were going to roll to victory.

North Carolina led by as many as 19 points in the second half, and maintained a seemingly steady 14-point cushion with less than seven minutes remaining.

But from that point on, the Tar Heels went ice cold from the field, missing their final nine shots of the contest, allowing the Rams to rally for a stunning come-from-behind victory that set the record for the largest comeback in the first round of tournament history. 

As many fans and media members have already pointed out, fatigue may have played a critical role in North Carolina’s collapse. UNC's players certainly seemed to lack the same energy and fight they had shown earlier in the contest as the clock wound down.

In many respects, you could also say that fatigue may have been a major factor in Siena opening the door for Duke’s rally as well. Amazingly, all five of Siena’s starters played the entire 40 minutes, which hindered their ability to execute as their legs grew tired and they ran out of gas.

As followers of Jesus, there are many times in our walk of faith when we can grow weary and stop fighting the good fight of the faith with the same passion, energy, and vigor.

When we have gone through extended seasons of battling temptation, struggling through trials, or not seeing the desired outcomes for which we worked and prayed, it can be easy to grow weary and dial back our intensity.

But it's precisely in those moments that we need to lean into the Lord for renewed strength so that we can persevere and continue to fight with all of the energy that He generously supplies. 

Take a look at just a handful of verses that speak to the importance of perseverance in the life of faith:

“But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13; NKJV).

“Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12:3; ESV).

“And He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1; ESV).

We must be mindful that Satan never stops seeking to influence the life of a believer. Even after being saved, he works overtime to get us to question God's goodness and promises. 

Satan would love for us to buy into the lie that all of our efforts in the faith are in vain. He would be thrilled if we were to wear down and begin to dial it back in our spiritual endeavors.

But we must remember that all of the energy that we expend in our spiritual life, in accordance with the words of Scripture, is never in vain. Even if we don't always see the immediate results we desire, it doesn't mean God isn't working in our lives or that the reward will not be worth the effort. 

When we begin to feel the pull towards weariness or spiritual lethargy, we must wash our hearts with the truths of God’s Word. Here are some verses that remind us our efforts in the Lord are always worth it:

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later” (Romans 8:18; NLT).

“Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58; NASB).

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

Today, let's fight against the temptation to grow tired and weary. Let's persevere until the end as we run with Jesus, asking God for renewed strength and energy, seeking to please Him in all that we do, knowing that God delights to provide His children with all they need for life and godliness.

I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please forgive me for the times I've grown weary in my walk with You. Thank you for being faithful to supply me with all that I need to live a life that pleases You. Please help me remember Your promises and Your goodness so that I might fight against the temptation to grow weary as I move forward. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.