Victoria Beckham nearly gave up. What can her comeback teach us about faith?

Going from Spice Girl to designer was never going to be the easiest step for Victoria Beckham. Some people definitely thought it was a leap too far and weren’t shy to express their cynicism. It’s no secret that she’s always enjoyed fashion, but to create signature looks, build a label that would attract the attention of the high-end luxury market and allow her access to the designer world was a challenge and a dream.

The three-part documentary charting her rise from bullied schoolgirl to wife of England’s most famous footballer, through her career in pop, her eating disorders and emerging to build her brand, right up to and including both the pressure and triumph of the 2024 Paris Fashion Week, is still available to watch on Netflix. It followed on from the four-part series that charted David Beckham’s remarkable football career.

READ MORE: What Victoria Beckham taught me: why building a dream with your husband might be biblical

The most shocking thing about Mrs Beckham’s journey is the fact that it’s only the accounts of this last year that have finally shown a profit.

The most shocking thing about Mrs Beckham’s journey is the fact that it’s only the accounts of this last year that have finally shown a profit. After launching in 2008 with just ten simple, tailored dresses, her inexperience began to show in the accounting ledgers. While sales grew at a healthy rate year on year, the deficits grew faster. Operating losses hit the £1.3 million mark. She could have given up, but the documentary shows her eating humble pie, tearfully asking her husband for money to keep things afloat.

The combination of better business heads, a team who want her to succeed, improved fiscal decisions and continuity in terms of product have finally led to the 2025 figures that show a £7.3 million operating profit. I imagine that corks have been popped, bubbles poured and celebrations enjoyed.

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Perhaps a version of this happened in your own house recently, toasting offspring who have doggedly kept their noses to the academic grindstone and emerged from foreboding to exam results that have brought both joy and opportunities for the next season of life.

Tough times present us with a choice. Do we give up, abdicate or wallow; or do we dig in and push through?

Tough times present us with a choice. Do we give up, abdicate or wallow; or do we dig in and push through? The Bible tells us that, ‘suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope’ (Romans 5:3–4). Our spiritual muscles are stretched when we’re under pressure and/or in dark times.

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I’ve walked through times of extreme financial hardship; bereavements which left me battered, bruised and confused; disappointments and heartaches for loved ones who were violated and traumatised. All of those things were real. I didn’t imagine them; I couldn’t wish them away or rationalise them. When I was in my A’ level years, I hit a bleak season of mental health which almost took me out as the oppressive black dog of depression played havoc with my mind. Later, I walked through the dark valley of post-natal depression, not once but twice. I felt detached from my body, as if I was watching someone else going through the motions of each day, overwhelmed by a grief the source of which I couldn’t locate. Too frightened to see a medical doctor, I slogged on, wondering where God was until, through the fog, I eventually realised He was still present. I’d just lost sight of Him. He hadn’t changed; His words were still trustworthy.

By slowly making one good choice after another – getting out of bed; taking a shower – and hanging grimly but determinedly to God’s promises (if only by a thread), I finally emerged into the light again. There’s a big difference between the endurance required to navigate a blip in a business, even one as high profile as Victoria Beckham’s, and a personal crash or crisis of faith. The common denominator is facing forward, focusing on the goal and courageously taking one methodical step after another.

Our character, like precious diamonds, is often formed in the darkest, deepest recesses of life experience. Whether you call it steadfastness, grit or stubborn faith, a light at the end of the tunnel signifies progress, hope (which doesn’t disappoint: Romans 5:5) and joy. As Paul says in Ephesians 6, even when you don’t feel you can move forward anymore, simply ‘stand’.

Just be sure to strap that armour on first and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.