Self-doubt.
It’s always lurking, isn’t it?
No matter how much you pour yourself out, no matter how many lives you touch, that nagging voice creeps in, whispering, “Is it enough? Shouldn’t you be doing more by now?”
I know it well.
And here’s the thing: I’ve spoken to pastors with massive platforms. Thousands of people filling their pews, their names known, their ministries big.
And they struggle with the exact same thing.
Same insecurities. Same doubts.
“Am I really doing what God called me to do?” “Am I fulfilling my purpose?”
The enemy has a field day with that.
He wants us all chasing this invisible finish line — thinking, “If I just reach this many people… If I just grow my church… THEN God will be happy with me. THEN I’ll be walking in my calling.”
But here’s the truth:
That’s not the goal. That was never the goal.
God’s pleasure in you isn’t hinged on numbers. It’s not about whether you’re leading twelve people or twelve thousand.
The goal is simple.
Obedience.
Long obedience in the same direction.
Showing up, day after day, to what God has asked you to do.
Not because you’ll finally “arrive” someday, but because you’re walking with Him in the here and now.
That’s where your calling is fulfilled — in the small, daily faithfulness.
In doing what He’s called you to do today, not obsessing over what tomorrow might hold.
I think about what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Not in vain.
Even when it feels like no one notices. Even when you’re questioning if you’re making an impact.
God sees your obedience. He sees your faithfulness.
And that’s what He’s after — not a ministry that reaches X amount of people, but a heart that says yes to Him over and over again.
The enemy will keep trying to distract you with discouragement. To convince you that your value is measured in success, in numbers, in influence.
But the real victory?
It’s in showing up.
Being faithful in the little things, the unseen things.
Your legacy isn’t in how many people you reach.
It’s in how well you obey the One who called you.
That’s where the joy is.
And that’s more than enough.
Discouragement and the Call to Long Obedience was originally published in GoodLion Theology on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
