The Middle Part Is Where We Grow

Mountaintops are great. So are breakthrough moments.
We post about those. We celebrate them. And we should.

But the truth is, most of life doesn’t happen on the mountaintop.
It happens in the middle.

Between the start and the breakthrough.
Between the big prayer and the visible answer.
Between the celebration and the next assignment.

That’s where we live.

The middle part is where the early excitement wears off.
Where routines settle in.
Where things start to feel normal again.
Where the spiritual high fades and you're left with the calendar, the dishes, and the emails.

And it’s right there that Scripture says something important is happening even if we don’t feel it.

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:4

There’s a process. And it’s not instant.

God isn’t in a hurry. But He is intentional.
He doesn’t waste the in-between.
He uses it.

What if today isn’t a detour but the actual path?

We like quick stories.
We like highlight reels.
We like to jump from calling to impact, from pain to purpose, from prayer to miracle.

But real growth happens slowly.
Quietly.
Repeatedly.

Think about the parts of your life where God has formed your character the most.
It probably wasn’t during the victory moments.
It was during the middle parts.

The waiting.
The repeating.
The trusting.

The mornings you kept showing up.
The decisions you made when no one else noticed.
The forgiveness that didn’t come naturally but came anyway.

That’s where maturity happens. That’s where roots grow deep.

If you’re in the middle right now, this is for you.

You’re not behind.
You’re not forgotten.
And you’re not finished.

God is still working.
Even if you can’t feel the progress.
Even if you’re tired of the process.

The middle might feel unimpressive, but it is where your strength is being built.
It’s where spiritual endurance is formed.
It’s where habits are shaped and roots are tested.

And one day, when you look back, you’ll realize
It wasn’t just about getting through it.
It was about who you became in it.

A Prayer for Today

Lord, I don’t want to rush the middle.
Even when it feels slow or quiet or ordinary, remind me that You are doing something in me.
Give me grace to keep going.
Give me vision to see the value in this season.
And let perseverance finish its work so I can grow into all You’ve called me to be.
Amen.