I Want the Finish Line, I’m Tired of the Process

I have wrestled with trying to sound put together while writing this. I have tried to soften the words to express the realities of being in the valley and make it sound lighter than it actually is. But that is not my reality. Because the truth is, when we filter what it really looks like to walk with Christ, we leave each other drowning in unbelief, condemnation and even sin begins to look like a relief when walking through the valley. It is easier to preach hope than to preach perseverance, because it is easier to have something to look forward to and use that as motivation to press on, than to be asked to make something out of lemons.

If I am being honest, the end of the year was brutal. And from conversations I’ve had, I know I wasn’t the only one. I wasn’t looking forward to 2026. Not at all. When our pastor started teaching about bold prayers, something in me resisted deeply. And it felt justified. Because when you are in the middle of a long, stretching walk with God, and you cannot see the finish line, bold prayers don’t always come naturally. I had seen the mountain tops, but they never seemed to last. It felt like I kept being led back into the valley. And somewhere along the way, I found myself asking, when does this end? Have I not believed enough? Have I not trusted enough? The thought of another year filled with unknowns I couldn’t control felt overwhelming.

But I am learning that there is no finish line. Not the kind I was chasing after. The end is eternity with Jesus. Because that is a promise to all believers, and so setting my eyes on what is above is all I have to do. There is so much promise in His words. How did I get so caught up and forget these truths? That even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for The Lord is with me. He comforts me. All I need to do is let Him in. That I can come to Him in my weariness and He will give me rest. 

If I’m being honest, I still feel like I am in the valley. The new year did not suddenly bring me to the mountain top. I am still learning to surrender, because Jesus invites me to do so. I wish the mountain top were somewhere we could stay forever. The highs. The climax of life. But that is not the reality of our walk as believers. My greatest takeaway from the sermon was that the goal was never the Mountain Top. We are exhausted in the journey of faith because we keep chasing finish lines. We keep chasing the highs. These moments alone do not transform hearts.

The mission was a relationship with Jesus. If you're going through the valley right now, fix your eyes on the truth. Trust God as your source and come boldly, because God responds to trust. And remember, Real Faith is formed in the Valley Moments. Be encouraged.