You know the feeling. That spark. That stirring inside to try something new. The longing to make a change that will finally benefit you.

But then—failure. Again. And again. And again.

We all know it. At least, I sure do.

My wife could tell you. For years she heard me say, “I am going to start running again.” Every New Year, inspiration would hit, and I would declare, “This is the year!”

A week later? Right back where I started.

For years, this was my cycle: try, fail, repeat.

But I did not quit. I did not give in. Every time the spark of inspiration lit my heart, I honestly believed, this time will be different.

And then—one day—it was.

I do not know what shifted. I cannot pinpoint the click. But finally, my declaration lined up with my discipline. What lasted a week turned into a month. What lasted a month became a lifestyle.

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Your “Thing”

Now, maybe running sounds silly. But I know you have got that thing too.

That habit you have tried to break.

That calling you have tried to pursue.

That change you have promised yourself—time and time again—but it just never sticks.

Here is my first encouragement:

“Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”

— Hebrews 10:35–36

Don’t discard your confidence. Don’t give up your fight. God rewards perseverance.

Months into my new rhythm, I laced up my shoes early one June morning—my birthday, actually—and prayed:

“God, I want to run farther than I’ve ever run before.”

And I sensed His gentle whisper:

“Just focus on the next step, and you will run farther than you ever imagined.”

So I did. For the next 50 minutes, I simply took the next step. Step after step, stride after stride—until I realized I had gone farther than I ever thought possible.

When my mind screamed, Stop!, I whispered back, Just take the next step.

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A Spiritual Parallel

That simple run became a spiritual revelation:

• Sometimes the anointing comes before we run our race.

• But most often, the anointing comes as we run our race.

The strength to keep going didn’t come all at once. It came step by step. And I realized—I only stopped running because I chose to stop. If I had kept going, the strength would have kept flowing.

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Your Next Step

So let me ask you: what’s your “next step”?

For me, it was running. For you, it might be something greater.

• Is it freedom from a habitual sin?

• Is it courage to step into your calling?

• Is it boldness to rebuild a broken relationship?

Here’s the key: don’t wait until you have it all figured out. Don’t wait until you feel strong enough for the whole journey.

Take. The. Next. Step.

Because when you do, there is an anointing waiting for you there. Strength you don’t have yet. Grace you haven’t tasted yet. Power you can’t imagine yet.

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So—dream again. Lace up again. Step forward again.

And as you do, let God meet you in motion.

Take the next step… and you’ll discover you can go farther than you ever dreamed. 

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