When Faith Is the Only Strength You Have Left

By Matt Piell

July 6, 2025

“I’ve had my share of ups and downs,
Times when there was no one around.
God came and spoke these words to me,
Praise will confuse the enemy.”
— CeCe Winans, “Praise Is What I Do”

In this post, I’m choosing to be vulnerable.

Not because I have to… but because it’s the truth.

And if you’ve ever felt like I have… you deserve to know you're not alone.

I’ve got to be honest.

Even though I was raised as a preacher’s son and God has always been in my life...

There were nights I didn’t know if I would make it through.

Nights when the pain of watching someone you love suffer strips away every illusion of control.

Nights when the grief of losing your father settles into your bones in a way you can’t shake.

Nights when everything I was building… everything I had worked for… seemed to blur in the fog of loss.

Like when my best friend and the Plant Manager of one of my companies passed away unexpectedly this last year.

That was such an unexpected blow that not only rocked me personally but also professionally.

And yet… through the darkest moments of my life, through the fires of tribulation, through the mistakes and missteps…

God has always been faithful.

And let me be very clear here…

I’ll be the first to admit it:

I’ve been weak.

I’ve been brought to my knees.

I’ve had moments where my only strength was breath.

But even then… my faith didn’t leave me.

It held me.

Quietly. Steadily.

Like a whisper that wouldn’t go silent.

There’s a reason Jeremiah 29:11 lives inside me now:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.”

That Bible verse isn’t poetry to me.

It’s my survival message. 

And it’s what rebuilt me.

The Ground: Where I Was

I grew up knowing what hard work meant.

I knew how to build, how to hustle, how to lead.

But nothing prepares you for the kind of breaking that doesn’t happen in business…
but in your spirit.

Watching my wife of 30 years walk through the rarest of the rare health conditions changed everything… year after year, countless sleepless nights after sleepless nights.

And this last January losing my father stripped the floor from under me.

He was my best guide.

He showed me God.

He showed me how to be a faithful son.

Without God… it would’ve broken me.

But intense grief does something strange…

Grief is not the great diminisher.

Grief is the great clarifier.

Grief makes you see what actually matters.

Grief orients you. 

Grief focuses you. 

Grief catalyzes a new beginning… 

Even when all you wanted was for that not to be the reality.

Yet as a humble servant of God, I’ve learned:

You just can’t put a comma or a question mark where God has placed a period.

There is a divine reason for everything.

And through faith, we are given the grace and space to allow God's plan to unfold in all its brilliance.

Because everything… everything… can be used for God’s good…

If we come to Him with a humble heart and spirit.

God has taught me humility… and that humility has forged wisdom in me like nothing else could.

Today, I say prayers of gratitude for every mistake, every misstep, every hurdle and block… 

Because they were all elements required to become the man I am today:

Matt Piell is a true and faithful servant of the most high God.

The Orient: Who I Am Becoming

It’s undeniable…

I’m not the man I was ten years ago.

Not even ten months ago.

This season has required me to look at everything I’ve built and ask:

Does this align with my God given assignment for my life?

That’s not a business question.

That’s a soul question.

I’ve done the rounds… I’ve walked through boardrooms, led teams, negotiated deals, and scaled ideas.

But what matters now is different.

It’s quieter…

More precise…

More eternal…

Because I’m no longer building for outside approval.

I’m building for impact.

And I’m building for God.

I’m no longer trying to prove who I am.

I know who I am.

Matt Piell is:

• A father
  
  

• A husband
  
  

• A kingdom man
  
  

• A humble builder and steward of people, businesses, and things that matter
  
  

The Assessment That Matters: My Real KPIs

So how does this apply to your life?

Especially in the moments when everything feels like it’s slipping? 

You stop chasing noise.

And you start assessing where peace actually lives.

For me, it lives in these questions:

• Does this effort serve people or serve ego?
  
  

• Am I aligned with God or just staying busy?
  
  

• Can I look my kids in the eye and say I gave them more than ambition…
  I gave them purpose, direction, and core values?
  
  

Those are the only KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) I care about anymore.

Because when you’ve sat with heartbreak long enough… you realize success isn’t what people think it is.

Success is NOT visibility.

Success is NOT being the loudest with the most followers on Social Media.

Success is NOT commas in the bank.

True success is staying faithful and true when EVERYTHING in you wants to quit.

The Test: Where I’m Headed

This next chapter of my life is about legacy.

It’s about building something so aligned with what God is doing
that the fruit multiplies beyond me.

I’m not just here to scale ventures…
I’m here to scale people and positive impact for this world.

To lift those who have felt like I have… 

Disoriented.
Heavy.
Tired.

And to remind them and you… 

You’re not done.

You’re just beginning.

And God LOVES you so much and will always be faithful to you… 

So be faithful to God ESPECIALLY in the dark moments where faith feels like an illusion. 

The ideas I’m working on now were born from a place of:

• Humility
  
  

• Fire (literally!)
  
  

• Reverence
  
  

I’m moving forward—guided by faith, prayer, and intention.

Everything I build from here is rooted in faith, designed with clarity, and surrounded by people who understand:

Real power doesn’t scream.

It listens.

This Is the New Beginning

To those watching: I’m still here and will continue to be a walking testimony to the Glory and Grace of God.

To those praying: Thank you, your prayers made all the difference.

To the man I used to be: You did your best and I thank you for every lesson.

To the man I am now: Walk with honor and truth, God has you.

To the man I’m becoming: Trust the plans… and the pains.

Because this is not the end of my story… 

It’s the part where everything starts to make sense.

And to the One who stayed with me through it all…

I don’t just owe You my thanks…

I owe You my life.

EVERYday is the day I sing your praises.

Thank you, Father for your love and grace.

Your faith-filled son,
Matt