If you’ve ever chased a dream, you’re bound to know that all dreams are not achieved at equal paces.

In other words, if you and someone else start chasing your dreams at the same time, you may not both achieve the level of success you’re striving for at the same time.

One of you, at some point, will gain momentum and pass the other. Whether it’s in sales, number of products you have available, or the number of pounds you’ve lost.

And, if you’re the one who “got passed”, let’s be real: it can be a heavy blow to our dream-chasing motivation. It can cause us to pause in the midst of our own progress and think, I’ve been working JUST as hard as they have. Maybe even harder. And if I haven’t reached the point they’re at by now, maybe I’m just a failure. Maybe I should just quit while I’m ahead. Because, obviously, they have what it takes, and I don’t.

I’ve been there. I’ve witnessed new indie authors appear and surpass me in both sales and books released within their first few months of publishing, while I’ve been chasing this author dream for over six years. There have been seasons where I watched their success and went down the same rabbit hole of toxic thoughts I mentioned above, telling myself there must be something wrong with me because I haven’t reached that point of success yet, despite being at it much longer than others who are chasing the same dream.

The truth of the matter is, even though we think we’re losers who are falling behind everyone else, God doesn’t think that. God gave us our individual dreams for a unique purpose, and because each and every one of us has a unique purpose, we all reach His determined level of “success” for us at different times. And that’s OKAY.

You’re Not Falling Behind Everyone Else

By worldly standards, it may seem like you’re falling behind everyone else and are failing at accomplishing your goals. I mean, sales stats and social media posts are public for anyone to see. Anyone who can read and use a computer can look at your stats compared to someone else’s and agree with you that, Yeah, bud. They’re doing better than you at this.

But the Truth, the one thing we often forget, is that God sees the full picture. God is orchestrating our paths the way He wants, not the linear way the world expects.

Our world today, addicted to instant gratification, is often mislead to believe that the pathway to success is an uphill stroll. You just do this one thing, and it works! Then you move on to the next, and things get so much better! Then you accomplish the third, and BAM! you’re rich and you can retire at the ripe age of 25.

Hahaha… right. But God’s Word tells us something else entirely…

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Romans 12:1-5, KJV

In the book of Romans, Paul reminds us that we are not to be conformed to the world, therefore, we are not to seek to appease worldly standards, but God’s. He also tells us to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, meaning that we shouldn’t look on all the work we’ve accomplished with arrogance, thinking we deserve success and everything that comes with it.

Let me go off on a side-tangent here and say that I’m SO sick of this “I deserve” mentality the world has fallen into. There is only one thing we truly deserve in life on this earth, and that’s the wrath of God for our hideous sin. But, instead, He allowed the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, on the Cross at Calvary to take place, to wipe our sins clean if only we believe and follow Jesus. (See John 3:16-17)

But, let me get back on track. 🙂 Paul continues to remind us to think soberly (humbly works well as a synonym here), and that “we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office…” meaning that every single one of us has a unique role to fulfill in God’s overall plan.

Therefore, there is NO set timeline of success. Paul plainly says here that all members of the body of Christ play different parts in the grand scheme of things, so of course all of our journeys are going to be different. Based on this Truth, we should not allow Satan to infiltrate our minds and convince us that we’re “falling behind”, because we know that we are a unique puzzle piece in His big picture, and that He uses us all at different times.

God’s Timing is Never Wrong

So, on the basis that there is no set timeline for success because all members of the body of Christ play different parts, that in turn tells us that our success is determined by God’s timing, not our own.

Is it hard to trust God’s timing? Yes, very much so. Especially if you’ve been waiting years, decades even, on a specific goal to be reached, one that you’ve prayed for over and over again. If you’re like me, you may fall into toxic thought traps where you wonder if God likes someone else more than you, or if so-and-so is more worthy than you, and that’s why they’re living their dreams and you’re not.

The truth is that, just as the passage above stated, we all play different parts for the same end-goal: God’s ultimate plan, which is that people come to know Christ as their Savior. Therefore, God does not play favorites with His children, and no one is more worthy than anyone else. In fact, we’re all equally unworthy of God’s grace, but He gives it to us, again, if we repent of our sins and accept Jesus as our Savior.

But how can we cope in the waiting period, when it feels like God’s timing is taking entirely too long?

Not long ago, one of the pastors at the church I attend reminded us that in waiting on the Lord, He calls us to be steadfast in doing His work in the time in between.

This is evident in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, when Paul is writing to the Corinthians about corruption versus incorruption, and how victory will be found to those who belong to Jesus Christ. In the last verse of the chapter, Paul writes:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58, KJV

Your work is not in vain, my friend. God sees the work you’re putting in for His kingdom. Keep at it, and don’t do it begrudgingly. Do it with a kingdom mindset, and try to push the temptation of stats, sales, and worldly success to the back burner, or kill the heat on it altogether. All those things won’t matter in Heaven, but doing the work God lays on your heart will have a much bigger impact than you realize right now.

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

Are you currently feeling like you’re falling behind, or are worried that God’s timing is taking too long? How can we pray for your situation?

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀