I hate this feeling of being stuck, of not liking where you are, or even who you are, and feeling helpless to change any of it. Time drags, and it seems like nothing will change or get any better, no matter what you try. I’ve been here before too many times to count, and I know in my head the only way to get somewhere else is one small step at a time, faithfully putting one foot in front of another till you get to a better place, even though it feels like going nowhere. Sometimes you just have to walk by faith.
At some point in life I started saying “Slow and steady wins the race” to myself, and I don’t even remember when. It comes from the old story of The Tortoise and the Hare, when the rabbit races off in a cloud of dust, sure he will win the race between himself and the slow tortoise. I always felt sorry for the turtle, who could not speed up even if he tried– and how can you help but admire that persistence that keeps putting one foot in front of another till he arrives at the finish line, while the over-confident rabbit sits down to take a nap? It must have made quite an impression on a little girl, because years later that principle still sticks with me.
The apostle Paul agrees: “… one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 ESV) Pressing on, one step at a time is the only way to win any race at all; I don’t know why we are so quick to gloss over that fact. Why the tendency to boast that if we had this thing we could run better? or if we were here instead of there we would surely run farther? or if we had more incentive we could finish first? What lack in ourselves are we trying to cover up with all that wind and smoke– when all any of us can do is put one foot after another, and all that matters in the end is finishing? More and more I find myself praying for faithfulness to keep on walking, to do the things in front of me well, for the glory of God, whatever they are– to be content with what He has placed before me. Because the only way to ever get anywhere and to become anyone is to master the small steps, one at a time.
So days like this when I feel stuck in a situation, without the energy to push ahead, I think of the tortoise and repeat his creed, Slow and steady wins the race, and I know that when I am closest to faltering that is when I need it the most. Just fix my eyes on Jesus and do the thing in front of me, whatever it is. Show love to that person. Complete a task that waits. And then the next thing, and the next. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…” (Colossians 3:23) Because He did the hardest thing, “for the joy that was set before Him.” You could say it is the only solution for getting unstuck– and it is definitely the first step that is the hardest– but faithfulness in the small things is the best way to finish this race and get safely Home.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:23