Imagine you are clearing your phone storage and you come across a picture from two years ago. You look at it for a moment and smile. Not because of the pictures but because you remember who you were when it was taken. You remember the things you were praying about, the things you were struggling with, the things you were afraid would never change. Then you realise that you don’t worry or pray about those things anymore because they are now reality. You probably did not notice when the change happened. There was no particular morning when you woke up and suddenly became stronger, wiser, more disciplined, or more confident. It happened gradually, one decision, one lesson at a time. Yet, you may still feel like you are not doing enough.
We are often very good at noticing things we do not have yet; the job we have not gotten, the money we have not made, the prayer that has not been answered, the goal that is taking longer than expected, etc.
It is easy to miss progress
Most times, we think progress has to be obvious before it counts. We look at the finished degree, not the semesters we survived. The successful business, not the months we spent learning. The answered prayer, not the growth that happened while we waited.
Progress may not make for dramatic testimonies, but they matter. Zechariah 4 vs 10 asks, “For who has despised the day of small things?” Why do we feel like something only matters when it becomes big enough for others to notice? It is comforting to know that God is not only interested in the finished picture, He is also interested in the process. We may look at our lives and think, “I should be further by now.” God may be looking at the same life and seeing how much we have learned, how much we have endured, and how much we have grown. This does not mean we should stop pursuing bigger things, it means we should not allow the desire for more to make us blind to what is already happening.
Being ambitious and being unable to appreciate progress are different things. We can want more and still be grateful for where we are. We can believe God for the next chapter without treating the current one like a waste of time.
Let’s reflect for a few minutes: Think about something you struggled with a year ago. Are you still struggling with it in exactly the same way? What about the thing you prayed about months ago, has anything changed since then, even if the answer has not come in the way you expected? Think about the person you were when you first started that journey, what can you do now that you could not do then? Travel back in time, are you where you were at the beginning of the year? If all you see is the distance between where you are and where you want to be, you won’t appreciate the ground you have already covered.
Prayer Focus
Ask God for the grace to be content with your present season while remaining faithful to what He is calling you toward. Ask Him to help you recognize and appreciate the progress you often overlook. Then ask yourself, “What is one area I have seen progress in my life recently? Share it with us in the Comments, let’s share in the joy of your progress.