A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
By Ryan Dawson
As I enter my 56th year I have been reflecting on my journey with Christ. God has been so very gracious to me my whole life, and I echo David when he sings, “the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” Psalms 16:5-6 (NIV). I am so very thankful for my incredible wife, our children, my extended family, church family and friends. I have meaningful work, my health, a beautiful home and property, and abundant provision. Indeed, my life is blessed, and God has been so very faithful.
But things have not always gone the way I expected them to go. To be honest, I thought I would have achieved more and accomplished more in ministry by this stage in my life, so I’m wrestling with what it means to live a faithful and fruitful life before God. We are so programmed in our culture that things should always move “up and to the right” and I bought into that as a young man, and it has been hard to shake.
As a young Christian leader, I set out in my 20’s with zeal to make an impact for Christ and I expected things to go “up and to the right”. I learned in my 30’s and 40’s that life and ministry can be challenging and there are ups and downs in the journey. Along the way I have made mistakes, and I have grown more through the tests and trials that God allowed in my life, than through my successes. I have struggled with the lack of perceived fruit in ministry and my personal life, and I have wrestled with my own performance issues. I have had wins and losses, but God has been there to help me regardless of outcomes, and He has extended grace to help me persevere.
As I look back on the last 35 years my journey has been more a slow-moving walk than some impressive contest, but maybe that is what God intended all along. I find myself gravitating more and more in these days to the phrase coined by Nietzsche but made popular by Eugene Peterson that describes the Christian life as “a long obedience in the same direction.” Nothing flashy, nothing overly remarkable, but a steady plodding towards Christ and the Kingdom. I think I’m becoming more okay with that.
The phrase "a long obedience in the same direction" highlights the idea that following Jesus is not a quick or easy path, but rather a journey marked by steadfastness and perseverance. This concept echoes Jesus' call to discipleship in Luke 9:23, where Christ says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
In our fast-paced world, we often seek immediate results or instant gratification (I still struggle with this), but true spiritual growth requires consistency and endurance, and it doesn’t always look like “up and to the right”. Being a disciple of Jesus is not about dramatic moments or short bursts of enthusiasm. Instead, it is about daily faithfulness, choosing to follow Jesus through the highs and lows, the joys and the trials of life. A “long obedience in the same direction” requires real faith because we need to trust in in God's timing and God’s plan, more than our own, and we need to believe that God is working even when we don't see results. I’m learning this more and more and I'm growing to be okay with this.
In Galatians 6:9 the Apostle Paul encourages us: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." So, let us commit to a long obedience in the same direction, trusting that God is faithful, and He will complete the good work He has begun in us for our good and His glory (Philippians 1:6).
For Christ and His Kingdom, Ryan
As I enter my 56th year I have been reflecting on my journey with Christ. God has been so very gracious to me my whole life, and I echo David when he sings, “the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” Psalms 16:5-6 (NIV). I am so very thankful for my incredible wife, our children, my extended family, church family and friends. I have meaningful work, my health, a beautiful home and property, and abundant provision. Indeed, my life is blessed, and God has been so very faithful.
But things have not always gone the way I expected them to go. To be honest, I thought I would have achieved more and accomplished more in ministry by this stage in my life, so I’m wrestling with what it means to live a faithful and fruitful life before God. We are so programmed in our culture that things should always move “up and to the right” and I bought into that as a young man, and it has been hard to shake.
As a young Christian leader, I set out in my 20’s with zeal to make an impact for Christ and I expected things to go “up and to the right”. I learned in my 30’s and 40’s that life and ministry can be challenging and there are ups and downs in the journey. Along the way I have made mistakes, and I have grown more through the tests and trials that God allowed in my life, than through my successes. I have struggled with the lack of perceived fruit in ministry and my personal life, and I have wrestled with my own performance issues. I have had wins and losses, but God has been there to help me regardless of outcomes, and He has extended grace to help me persevere.
As I look back on the last 35 years my journey has been more a slow-moving walk than some impressive contest, but maybe that is what God intended all along. I find myself gravitating more and more in these days to the phrase coined by Nietzsche but made popular by Eugene Peterson that describes the Christian life as “a long obedience in the same direction.” Nothing flashy, nothing overly remarkable, but a steady plodding towards Christ and the Kingdom. I think I’m becoming more okay with that.
The phrase "a long obedience in the same direction" highlights the idea that following Jesus is not a quick or easy path, but rather a journey marked by steadfastness and perseverance. This concept echoes Jesus' call to discipleship in Luke 9:23, where Christ says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
In our fast-paced world, we often seek immediate results or instant gratification (I still struggle with this), but true spiritual growth requires consistency and endurance, and it doesn’t always look like “up and to the right”. Being a disciple of Jesus is not about dramatic moments or short bursts of enthusiasm. Instead, it is about daily faithfulness, choosing to follow Jesus through the highs and lows, the joys and the trials of life. A “long obedience in the same direction” requires real faith because we need to trust in in God's timing and God’s plan, more than our own, and we need to believe that God is working even when we don't see results. I’m learning this more and more and I'm growing to be okay with this.
In Galatians 6:9 the Apostle Paul encourages us: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." So, let us commit to a long obedience in the same direction, trusting that God is faithful, and He will complete the good work He has begun in us for our good and His glory (Philippians 1:6).
For Christ and His Kingdom, Ryan