Why Faith Means Showing Up Anyway
Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s book, Do It Anyway, is about one word. That word is faith.
The book is Tasha’s testimony—her journey of trusting God and what He has enabled her to accomplish in life. She shares personal challenges, takes on projects in which she has absolutely no knowledge or experience, and reveals the lessons she has learned through it all.
What remains constant is that no matter how difficult or heartbreaking the journey, Tasha stays at the feet of Jesus—something her father taught her to do. In other words, she stays prayed up.
That unwavering faith is the foundation of her story, and it’s the foundation of the two quotes from her book that stay on my mind daily:
Regardless of a season’s status, you should “do it anyway” and “don’t give up before it gets good.”
Faith—My Takeaway from Do It Anyway
As I reflect on Tasha’s words, I can’t help but think about faith on a deeper level—what it really means and how it plays out in our lives. Inspired by her story, here’s my take on why faith is so important and why it’s something we have to practice daily.
What Does Faith Mean to You?
Let me ask you—do you have faith? I don’t mean that in a judgmental way, not as a test, just as a simple question about what faith truly means to you.
Beyond the spiritual references, faith is having a strong trust or belief in something, someone, or some concept for which you have no proof.
That’s faith.
It means you’re willing to move forward even when the journey—or the outcome—is unknown. It’s showing up and putting in the work when you don’t see results yet. It’s staying committed when there’s no progress, no movement, no visible benefit. But even when there’s nothing tangible in front of you, you keep going because you believe. And because there is an unwavering hope.
What Happens When You Don’t Have Faith?
Simple: you stop.
You stop before the reward comes. Now, sure, you don’t know when that reward will happen, but a person with faith keeps going until it does.
So, I ask you:
- What have you let go of?
- What have you stopped doing?
- What dreams have you shelved because you felt like you didn’t have the finances, the know-how, the connections, or the materials to make it happen?
When you put your dreams on hold, you’re telling yourself you don’t have faith.
Faith Works When You Do
Now, let me clarify: when I say faith, I don’t just mean belief—I mean belief backed by action. I mean intentionally speaking life into what you’re hoping for. Because faith without prayer is just wishful thinking, and prayer without action is just words.
I understand that prayer means different things to different people. For some, it’s meditation. For others, it’s talking to a higher power. And for some, it’s simply speaking their intentions out loud. However you define it, one thing is certain: if you don’t speak life into your desires and put in the work, they will never manifest.
Your ideas start in your mind, but they can’t stay there. You have to communicate them. Put them into the universe. Then, take the steps—no matter how small—to make them real. That’s faith in motion.
Now, I have a challenge for you.
Starting today, if faith has ever felt uncertain to you, I encourage you to take just a few minutes each day to strengthen it—even if it’s as small as a mustard seed.
Speak your desires out loud. Pray over them. Write them down. Take even the smallest step toward them. Keep showing up, even when you don’t see results yet. Oh, prayers don’t have to be complex or long. They can be as simple as: Help me do what I need to do to make this (whatever this is) happen.
I know firsthand that faith, combined with prayer, works. It will manifest.
As you can tell, Tasha’s book deeply inspired me. It’s relatable, and it offers perspectives you can connect with. For anyone who is just beginning their spiritual journey—or even if you’re looking for a fresh perspective, I highly recommend reading Do It Anyway.
So, tell me—what’s one thing you’re ready to move forward on, even without proof of the outcome?
Part of The Selful Bookshelf — reflections on what books reveal, not what they teach.
