While celebrating my older daughter’s birthday that year, the younger sister said something that got me laughing. She said; “Daddy, I will jump to 7 years and then to 8 years, 10 years etc.” I told her, “You don’t jump up; you grow up. When you jump up, you come down. But when you grow up, you stay up!”

Friend, growth is a process. When you jump up, you come down but when you grow up, you stay up. Don’t jump up! Grow up! Life is in phases and men are in sizes. Growth is critical to becoming great and sustaining greatness. Don’t fake it to make it. Rather, go through the process and pay the required prices for the greatness you desire (Matthew 20:20-23).

One of the reasons for going through process is the development of capacity and character required to sustain heights. Most times, when you see people who crash at the top, it is not as much a demonic problem as it is a capacity and/or character problem (Proverbs 24:10). This is why growth is important. You need to be patient and consistent enough to go through the process.

What you are going through now would determine where you are going to and what you would do when you get there. A lot of people are in a hurry going nowhere to do nothing. The time you invest in building capacity for future relevance is not a time wasted but a time invested. You cannot withdraw in your tomorrow what you did not invest today (Genesis 8:22).

You cannot fulfil destiny on credit. You have got to pay the price upfront (Luke 12:49-50, Philippians 3:14). After discovering where you are meant to be, the next thing to do is to go through the processes and pay the prices. Has God called you into pulpit ministry? Don’t jump up, grow up! Have you caught a huge vision for business? Take your time to grow into that vision. Let the vision make you.

“The future does not belong to the man doing it quick but to the man doing it right.” God does not celebrate smartness; He celebrates rightness. A lot of seemingly smart people are in error today; they just want to get to the top by all means. Don’t boycott process. Be thoroughly bred and baked for your future of greatness (Hosea 7:8). After all said and done, it would not just be about how far you have gone but how well.

‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria