From Settling to Soaring

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
Dr. Seuss

“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old; they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”
Gabriel García Márquez

“We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”
J. K. Rowling

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”
Lewis Carroll

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
Vincent van Gogh

How easy it is to grow comfortable. The rhythm of life can lull us into a quiet sense of satisfaction—contentment not born of peace, but of compromise. We stop dreaming. We stop asking. We stop believing that God has more for us than this. And in doing so, we settle. Settling rarely happens all at once. It begins subtly, like a whisper of doubt, a moment of weariness, or the quiet resignation that “this is enough.” It is like realizing halfway through a road trip that you have started enjoying gas station snacks a little too much. Yet God has not called us to a life of enough. He has called us to a life of abundant faith, to walk in step with His Spirit, and to press into the promises He has given. But how do we know if we have settled? Let me ask you: what are you standing in faith for?

Faith at Rest or Faith at Work?
The Bible often speaks of faith as an active posture. Hebrews 11 defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV). Faith is forward-looking, anchored in the promises of God that have yet to materialize fully in our lives. It is both a confidence in His character and a call to action. If we are not actively standing in faith for something, what does that reveal about our spiritual posture? While it is good to trust in the sovereignty of God, biblical faith is rarely passive. Faith at rest is not the same as faith at work. Noah built. Abraham walked. Moses stretched out his staff. Joshua marched. Faith calls us to action even when the outcome is unseen. Faith at work moves mountains and begins with a heart that refuses to settle for the valley; it is not content to move only feet—it presses forward, trusting God for the impossible. When we stop standing in faith, we often start settling for less. Have we stopped asking God for breakthrough in areas where we have faced resistance? Have we grown weary of contending for His promises? If so, we have likely allowed complacency to creep in.

The Allure of Convenience
Complacency often disguises itself as contentment. It tells us that what we have is enough and that striving for more is unnecessary or maybe even ungrateful. While there is a holy contentment rooted in trust (Philippians 4:11-13), there is also a counterfeit contentment that seeks convenience over obedience. Consider the Israelites in the wilderness. God promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, but the journey to that promise was difficult. At one point, they even longed to return to Egypt, where the food was familiar and life, though oppressive, was predictable (Numbers 11:4-6). They were willing to trade the promise of freedom for the convenience of comfort. Are we any different? Have we grown content with the manna of today while forgetting the abundance of tomorrow? Have we settled for routine when God is calling us into risk? The danger of settling is that it limits our vision. It blinds us to the “immeasurably more” that God is able to do (Ephesians 3:20). Instead of lifting our eyes to His promises, we focus on preserving what we already have. And before we know it, we are holding onto our “good enough” like a toddler clutching a half-eaten cookie, unwilling to trade up for something better.

A Call to Contend
Scripture is filled with examples of people who refused to settle. One of the most striking is Jacob. After wrestling with God all night, he declared, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26, ESV). Jacob’s faith was tenacious, unrelenting. He contended with God because he believed there was more to receive. Contending requires persistence. Jesus taught this in the parable of the persistent widow, who kept coming to the unjust judge until she received justice (Luke 18:1-8). How much more should we, as God’s children, persist in prayer and faith, trusting that He is both willing and able to answer? Yet contending also requires humility. It acknowledges our dependence on God and our need for His guidance. This balance—of persistence and humility—is key to resisting complacency. It is also a reminder that just because you have prayed once does not mean you have hit your heavenly inbox quota.

Confession and Conviction
I confess, I have settled. There have been seasons where I allowed convenience to dictate my faith. I have prayed small prayers when God invited me to dream big dreams. I have grown comfortable with “good enough” when He was calling me to more. But God, in His mercy, does not leave us in our complacency. He calls us out—sometimes gently, sometimes sharply—but always for our good. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is not condemnation; it is an invitation to return to the life of faith and obedience. This conviction is not meant to burden us but to free us. When God calls us out of settling, He is reminding us of the abundant life He has for us. He is inviting us to trust Him afresh, to step out of our comfort zones, and to walk in the fullness of His promises.

Returning to the Vision
To shake off complacency, we must return to the vision and calling God has placed before us. What has He spoken over your life? What promises has He given? What burdens has He placed on your heart? In Haggai 1, the prophet rebukes the people of Israel for neglecting the work of rebuilding the temple. They had settled into their own homes and forgotten the mission God had given them. “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4, ESV). Their priorities had shifted. Instead of pursuing God’s vision, they had become preoccupied with their own comfort. Yet when they responded to the prophetic call, God stirred their spirits and renewed their purpose (Haggai 1:14). Let us likewise return to the vision and calling God has given us. Let us ask Him to stir our spirits and reignite our passion for His purposes.

Practical Steps to Avoid Settling

1. Examine Your Faith – Take an honest inventory of your prayers and priorities. What are you actively standing in faith for? Where have you grown complacent?
2. Renew Your Prayer Life – Prayer is the antidote to settling. It keeps our hearts aligned with God’s will and our faith anchored in His promises. Commit to praying consistently and fervently for the things God has placed on your heart.
3. Surround Yourself with Faith-Filled People – Community matters. Surround yourself with people who will challenge you, encourage you, and call you higher. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17).
4. Revisit God’s Promises – Meditate on Scripture and the specific promises God has given you. Let His Word renew your faith and strengthen your resolve.
5. Step Out in Obedience – Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Ask God for the courage to take practical steps toward the vision He has given you, even if they feel small or uncertain.

Called to Pursue
We are not called to settle. We are called to pursue. Paul captured this heart when he wrote, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own” (Philippians 3:12). Paul understood that the Christian life is a journey of continual pursuit—of pressing into the things of God, of growing in faith, and of striving toward the upward call of Christ. Settling was never an option for him, and it should not be for us. So, let us rise up. Let us shake off complacency and step out in faith. Let us be a people who contend for the promises of God, who trust Him for the impossible, and who refuse to settle for anything less than the fullness of His will.

What will you do now? Will you settle for a faith that whispers when it was made to roar? Or will you step into the call to contend—to pray, to press, to believe for more? God’s promises are not small, and His plans are not confined by our limits. So I ask you: will you rise up? Will you dare to trust Him again, to seek Him with a heart that refuses to grow weary? Understand this: we are not called to settle. We are called to pursue, and the time to begin is now. Will you answer the call or hold tightly to your half-eaten cookie?