Perseverance, Faith, and Real Change

When you sit with someone who has lived through darkness and found hope on the other

side, you sense something steady in them. Not perfection, not polish. Just a quiet strength that comes from letting go of control, trusting God, and showing up again the next day.

That is what stands out in the conversations between Arnie Cole and comedian Reno Collier. Five days of raw talk about addiction, fame, pride, shame, faith, and the slow daily work of becoming the person God calls us to be.

It is messy. It is honest. It is filled with small moments of humor and painful truth. And through all of it, one simple message rises to the top.

You keep going by trusting the One who never quits on you.

When Perseverance Starts With Surrender

Reno jokes that he thought he was an extrovert. Turns out he was just drunk. It sounds funny, but underneath the joke is a deep point. For years, he kept up a fast life that looked confident on the outside but was breaking him apart inside.

He believed in God, but he treated faith like a fire extinguisher behind glass. Break only in case of trouble. He would pray when he hit a wall, but during normal days he kept God at a distance. Not because he hated God, but because part of him feared what surrender would cost. He still wanted control.

That is something many of us understand more than we want to admit. We want God to fix our pain without touching our habits. We want peace without giving Him the mess that creates our chaos.

But real perseverance begins when we stop pretending we have it all handled. That is when we move from white knuckling life to trusting the One who is stronger than our patterns.

James 4:7 says, “submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will run.” Submission is not weakness. It is the starting point for strength.

Reno learned that the hard way, and he is grateful he did.

The Crash Behind the Laughter

Before sobriety, success hit Reno fast. TV spots. Comedy tours. Famous headliners. Crowds feeding the thrill of being the funny guy. But the more he gained, the emptier he felt.

Everything he thought would fix him only pushed him deeper into the hole.

He lied to people without blinking. He hid his drinking. He carried a pride that said he was better than others. It all looked thrilling to the outside world, but he knew he was falling apart. The high he got from crowds became a mask for a heart that was cracking.

He describes moments where he truly believed his kids would be better off after he was gone. He convinced himself he was past saving. That kind of pain is heavy. And it is the kind of pain people often carry in silence.

But God was not silent.

Even at his worst, the Lord kept placing people who refused to leave. His wife. His family. Friends who were done with the fake version of him and only wanted the real one. People who prayed, waited, and pushed through the frustration because they loved him.

Real perseverance is not a solo act. God uses people to hold us together when we cannot hold ourselves together.

The Daily Fight That Never Fully Stops

One of the most honest moments in the transcripts comes when Reno admits something surprising. At nine years sober, after helping people stay clean and sharing his faith openly, he still had a day when he wondered how long he could hide drinking if he relapsed.

Most people would never admit that. But he does because it shows how the battle works. Temptation is sneaky. It comes through a side door when you think you are strong.

That is why Reno keeps the Bible playing at night when he falls asleep. That is why he surrounds himself with people who push him toward light, not into old habits. That is why he prays through the day instead of holding everything down until it explodes.

He says the voice of God is louder than it used to be, but only because he keeps listening. The old voice is still there. It is just weaker than the new one.

Perseverance is not gritting your teeth through life. It is staying close to Jesus so you do not have to grit as hard.

The Quiet Power of Persistence

Arnie tells his own story of persistence. As a kid, he lived with childhood epilepsy and felt like he was always behind. School was harder. Testing felt impossible. People seemed smarter, quicker, more gifted.

But his dad gave him a framed quote that stayed with him for decades. A reminder that talent, education, and genius do not decide your future. Persistence does.

He checked the quote nearly every day. He carried it through tests, jobs, and setbacks. And he watched God honor that steady spirit, even when life was messy.

The heart behind it is simple. You may not be the smartest person in the room. You may not have the cleanest past. But you can choose not to quit. And when you pair human persistence with the strength of Jesus, something powerful happens.

Doors open. Lives change. Addictions lose their grip. Hope grows where it felt impossible before.

The Faith That Carries Others Too

Perseverance is not only about your own survival. It becomes a lifeline for someone else.

That is the pulse behind the new Alive and Sober with Reno C. podcast. Reno wants people to hear a voice that sounds like theirs. Someone who has lived the same shame, the same tug of addiction, the same fear of coming clean.

A space where the first feeling is not judgment, but relief. A place where someone can say, I wanted to give up too. I get it. You are not strange. You are not alone.

Every person who has been through darkness holds a key for someone else. Not by fixing them, but by walking with them.

Reno says it best. He cannot save anyone. He could not save himself. But he can point people to the One who did.

What Perseverance Looks Like in Real Life

Stay close to Jesus

You get stronger by trusting Him, not by acting tough.

Make small choices every day

Read Scripture. Pray when the urge hits. Stay honest. Reach out before slipping back.

Lean on community

Isolation feeds addiction. God uses people to steady us.

Share your story

Your past becomes a tool that lifts someone else.

Trust God with all of it

Not your past. Not your failures. Not your scars.

FAQ

How does faith help with addiction recovery?

Faith gives you strength that does not depend on your mood or willpower. It reminds you that you are not fighting alone and that God gives grace for every step.

What does daily perseverance look like?

It looks like choosing truth over lies. It looks like reaching for help, staying in Scripture, praying when you feel tempted, and talking openly with someone you trust.

Can someone relapse and still walk with God?

Yes. God does not quit on you. A relapse does not erase grace. It simply means you need support, honesty, and a fresh start.

Why is community important for perseverance?

Isolation feeds old habits. Community brings honesty, encouragement, and steady strength when you run low.

How do I help someone who is struggling?

Listen more than you speak. Be steady. Pray for them. Share hope without pressure. Point them to Jesus and stay close.

Final Encouragement

Whether your struggle is addiction, fear, past mistakes, or a quiet ache no one sees, hear this clearly.

God is not tired of you. He is not annoyed. He is not halfway out the door.

Perseverance is not about proving yourself. It is about holding on to the truth that Jesus holds on to you first.

If God can pull a man like Reno out of the darkest part of his life and give him a heart that now comforts others, He can pull you out too. If God can use Arnie’s persistence through sickness and setbacks to shape a life of influence, He can shape yours too.

Keep going. Keep trusting. Keep looking to Jesus.

He finishes what He starts.

P.S. If you have a comment or prayer request, contact me here: or call me and leave a message at 1-800-811-2387. And be sure to join me tomorrow through Friday on our new podcast Spiritually Fit Today.