As I rooted for Tony to win on the season finale of American Grit, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. My heart sank when he fell. I mean, he was a one man team for weeks. Every time he looked like he was about to faint and give up, he pushed through and made it to the next round.

To be honest with you, I was extremely bothered that he didn’t win the $250,000. And in that instance, I realized I was being a bit selfish. Here it was, a man in his early forties who pushed and pushed to get to the end and I was upset because he didn’t win money. Isn’t that why everyone was on the show?

Wrong. Well, sort of. Everyone was on the show because someone saw something in them and believed they had “American Grit”. Essentially, they hoped to win the final prize. Every episode, John Cena said “All we ask, is all you’ve got.” And Tony gave all he had. How often does God ask us to “give all we got”, yet we ring out before we get to see what’s on the other side of victory?

Or, we feel like because there wasn’t any money on the other side, we weren’t victorious? You see, Tony was able to push through week after week by himself because there was something greater than him moving him along. He had a greater purpose. He wanted to make his mom and daughters proud. There was no mistake in him losing because he didn’t lose.

Sure, if he would’ve held on just a few seconds longer, he would’ve won the money. Week after week he said he wasn’t sure if he could do it anymore. At his age, he felt his body couldn’t handle the wear and tear; yet each week, he pushed through.

Do you see the analogy I’m getting at? While I’m extremely proud of Tony for pushing through to the end, especially when he thought he couldn’t go any further, I realized that God was sending me a message.

The trials I’ve encountered since taking my leap of faith at the end of February have been overwhelming and at most times, left me wondering when the next dollar was coming in. But I hear God telling me to “hold on” just a little while longer. I know if I drop like Tony did, God will pick me back up because my victory is “promised”.

Now, don’t get me wrong – victories do come in stages and any victory we gain is amazing. In the midst of each physical challenge, Tony gained something that money couldn’t buy. He pushed past his mental and physical limits to get to the finale. Maybe his journey was about God restoring the strength he had when he was in the NFL so he could realize that he still had it. Or perhaps, the NFL journey prepared him for American Grit.

Either way you choose to see it, the physical journey was just a piece of the mental one; and while everyone’s journey is different, all journeys are about mind over matter. I do know one thing – I want every blessing that God has for me. And while I might not win every single battle, I refuse to drop off when I’m just a few seconds away from victory.

So, hold on my friend. You may not see it now, but keep going. Don’t give in. Tony is still a winner, because he has greatness on the inside of him. So do you. Even during your hard times you have to remember, money isn’t everything – the journey is.