I remember being a younger man back in Indiana, racing down those winding country roads. Late for another meeting, heading to meet another customer, or rushing home after yet another long day. And every so often, something would catch my attention and stop me mid-thought: a small country cottage with a full-length front porch, a wooden swing slowly rocking in the breeze. What in the world does this have to do with the secret to spiritual momentum?
The lawn was always green, really green, framed by thick, peaceful woods. And sitting on that porch swing would be a couple who looked like they didn’t have a care in the world.
A Season of Life… or Something More?
I would whisper to myself, and probably even to God, “I’m just not in that season right now…but someday.”
For some reason, I believed life worked in stages: hustle from graduation to retirement, push hard enough (faster, harder, longer, at all costs) to earn peace later, – grind now and rest someday.
You know, our all-American, capitalist timeline.
Simon Sinek calls this the Finite Game – win at any cost, beat the next guy, produce, perform, prove.
And many of us, even in ministry, have adopted that mindset.
But that’s not the way of Jesus.
Recently, God spoke something into my heart:
- “I am calling you back to simplicity and quiet—not to shrink your reach, but to increase your clarity.”
- “Pour into the one in front of you. I will multiply your impact.”
- “Your next step is not more hustle. It’s alignment.”
And yet my instinct was still to:
- do more
- help more
- create more
- build more
- be responsible for more
But God whispers the opposite:
“Slow down. Listen. Let Me lead.”
Why? Because He’s preparing my next season with:
- clearer purpose
- clarified assignments
- deeper peace
- greater influence
- narrower focus
- broader impact
This is not a season of grinding.
It’s a season of guidance.
And you might even ask, “You mean…I really can be like that couple sitting on their porch swing?”
Yes.
But that’s not where the story ends.
Danger to the Left – Danger to the Right
There’s a danger on the other side of the road.
If we’re not careful, the pendulum swings from hurry… into survival.
We stop running, but we also stop growing.
We settle into “Well, this is just how life is now,” and our routines quietly become ruts:
- same habits
- same mindset
- same spiritual level as last year… or five years ago.
“I finally found my church home,”
(so we settle for attending rather than engaging)
“I finally found my white-picket-fence home,”
(so we shut the garage door and isolate ourselves from the world)
We settle because we’re exhausted.
And spiritual autopilot replaces spiritual alignment.
Roots and Reach
God didn’t call us to be stagnant.
He called us to be:
- rooted and built up
- planted and growing
- steady and stretching
Think of a healthy tree. It never says, “I’ve grown enough.”
Its roots go deeper. Its branches reach higher.
Deep roots don’t create a static life.
Deep roots make growth possible.
And growth doesn’t mean a busier lifestyle.
You can be steady in:
- your calling
- your marriage
- your church
- your work
…and still be learning, stretching, and growing.
Staying planted gives you opportunity.
It means letting God expand you where you are:
- patience with the same people
- faith in the same job
- grace in the same marriage
- trust in the same story God’s been writing
Where Growth Stalls — and How to Restart It
Most of us hit seasons where growth slows.
Not because God stopped working…
But because we lost focus.
I recently met a business owner who proudly said he was running four different businesses. He said it like he’d “arrived.” But as he talked, it became clear: he wasn’t running them—they were running him.
Growth might look like:
- a tough conversation you’ve been avoiding
- learning a new skill for the role you already have
- opening Scripture instead of scrolling when you’re tired
- serving someone without being noticed
Doing more – professionally, personally, spiritually – doesn’t make you more mature.
Or more spiritual.
Or more successful.
Regardless of how much money you have or make.
A Thought to Take With You
What is the secret to spiritual momentum?
It isn’t doing more.
It’s being planted and deep-rooted where you are… and growing intentionally while you’re there.
We say it like this:
Narrow Your Focus to Widen Your Vision.
God isn’t asking you to chase a different field.
He’s inviting you to keep growing in the one He’s already given you.
Challenge of the Week
“Ask God, ‘Where do You want me to grow with where I am right now?’” Then choose one: Spiritually: Add 5 minutes to your time in the Word or prayer. Relationally: Be intentionally kind or patient with someone difficult to love. Professionally: Learn one new thing that strengthens what you already do. Don’t uproot.
Don’t run.
Stay planted.
But keep growing – So be it!
