The Messy Middle
And Endurance
Whenever God calls you into something new, the beginning is exciting. Though you might feel a bit nervous, you are ready to go! You are finally walking this thing out, and it is going to be Awesome, right?
As time goes on, the newness fades as you watch the starting line disappear behind you, and yet - you can’t quite make out the finish line in the distance. The excitement has been replaced by the reality of daily pushing past the flesh and moving forward with the consistency required to accomplish any good thing. Frankly, at this point life begins to feel a bit uncomfortable.
And this is often the part of the journey where we are tempted, like so many others, to give up, telling ourselves it was really never meant to be anyway. The messy middle doesn’t look glamorous. It isn’t loud or exciting. It requires consistency behind closed doors. It requires the pain of growth, and the desire to be honest with ourselves and God about what needs to shift in us to make room for the new thing He is doing. It requires endurance. It requires choosing, day after day, to say yes to what God has set before us, despite how we feel.
Self-Reliance for Divine Strength
When our flesh wants to return to old distractions, when we feel discouraged, or we are experiencing these growing pains, the goal can seem so far away.
Endurance isn’t about legalistic grit or forcing yourself through exhaustion; it’s about choosing to walk this out, step-by-step with Him.
Life isn’t a 100-yard dash; it’s a marathon.
In Hebrews 12:1–2, we are encouraged to “…run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”
He is both the Author and the Finisher. He sees the end even when we can’t, and He has good things planned for us every step of the way. We don’t have to push through in our own strength, forging our own path, or rush ahead of His timing.
We are invited to bring Him our very real and raw feelings. We can lay our fatigue, our sadness, our uncertainty, and our overwhelm at His feet. He meets us where we are when we are honest enough to say: “Lord, I am depleted here, but You are strong. What do You have for me in place of this?”
He promises that what He has in store for us is greater than we could ask or think; this is why He encourages us not to give up or grow weary because He sees the joy that awaits us. Yes, at times simply standing takes effort, but we also know we are not alone.
In moments like this, He offers a divine exchange: His joy for our sadness, His peace for our anxiety, and His strength for our weariness.
Strength for the Weary
It is so easy to beat ourselves up for feeling tired or frustrated in the middle, but God has so much grace for us here.
As Galatians 6:9 reminds us, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
He doesn’t condemn us for feeling weary; He encourages us to walk and not faint because He knows a harvest is coming. And on the days when we feel like we cannot take another step on our own, He carries us through.
If you’ve ever looked back on a particularly difficult season in your life and only saw one set of footprints in the sand, know that He was holding you up the entire time.
That promise is anchored in Isaiah 40:31:
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”
Waiting on Him isn’t passive. It’s choosing to walk this out so closely with Him that with each step, our strength is restored. We are not stepping ahead of Him, but keeping pace with Him. At times we are instructed to stand firm, knowing that whatever the pace, it is guided by him, ensuring we keep walking without giving up.
Enjoy the Journey
Along the way, pay attention to moments in the middle, the “God-winks,” the highlights and confirmations we receive from the Holy Spirit. These divine ideas, and the gentle ways He shows up and shows off. He is the most incredible partner on this journey, and He cares about the process just as much as the outcome.
Endurance isn’t just about making it across the finish line. It’s about us growing in our relationship with Him, and who we are becoming in Him as we walk it out step by step. Growth doesn’t happen all at once when we reach the finish line; it happens every single day we choose to step forward in His grace.
Look at where you were 5 years ago, and look at where you are now! Sometimes you can even look at where you were 20 days ago, and where you are now. His ways are higher than ours, and He has ways of growing us in Him in every seemingly small thing. Every simple act of obedience. Ways that make us unrecognizable to those around us when it is all said and done.
When your eyes are set on Him and not on the noise around you, there is joy to be found in this journey.
Consider This:
Where in your life are you currently standing in the “messy middle”? What feelings or burdens do you need to offload, and trade for His strength today?
Take a moment to have an honest conversation with our Heavenly Father. Ask Him to open your eyes to the joy, peace, and beauty He has placed right here in the middle of your journey.
Thank Him for, despite what you can or cannot see, He holds the future in His hands.