Before I changed lanes, I changed my mind about the lane I was in.

That’s something I recognize now when I think about the rush hour accident I shared in the [SHIFT] Podcast episode, WHY WAIT LOSS DOESN’T WORK.

Traffic was moving slowly.

I thought it should be moving faster.

And when I saw another lane that appeared to offer what I wanted, I went for it.

You know how that ended.

Two damaged vehicles.
A missed day of work.
And a much longer journey than the one I was trying to escape.

But before any of that happened, I reached a conclusion:

This is taking too long.

And that conclusion started driving before I did.

Maybe you know the feeling.

You’ve been working diligently.
Following instructions.
Showing up consistently.

But the results haven’t arrived at the speed you expected.

So, you begin wondering whether something is wrong.

And something might be.

But here’s a question worth considering before you change lanes:

What if slow isn’t the problem?

What Did You Expect?

One of the most revealing parts of my traffic story is that I thought I knew how long the journey should take.

I had traveled that route before.

Experience gave me an expectation.

And when the actual journey didn’t match that expectation, I treated the difference like a problem I needed to solve.

Quickly.

We can do the same thing with our lives.

We decide how long development should take.
How soon an opportunity should open.
When a business should become profitable.
How quickly obedience should produce something we can point to.

Sometimes those expectations come from experience.

Sometimes they come from comparison.

And sometimes we’ve simply gotten tired of waiting.

But have we investigated where the timeline came from?

Did God establish it?

Or did we attach a deadline to something He told us to do?

That question matters.

Because an expectation can become a measuring stick we use to evaluate God’s faithfulness—even when He never agreed to the schedule.

Before you conclude that the journey is behind, examine the timeline you’re using.

You may discover that the pressure you feel is coming from an expectation that needs to be revisited.

What Are You Concluding?

In Exodus 16, the Israelites were about a month removed from Egypt when hunger began shaping their interpretation of the journey.

They complained about Moses and Aaron.

They remembered the food they had eaten in Egypt.

And they concluded that they had been brought into the wilderness to starve.

Their hunger was real.

But their conclusion told another story.

The leaders God used to bring them out of slavery now looked like the people responsible for their destruction.

Egypt looked better in their recollection.

And the wilderness looked like the end.

That’s a significant change in perspective.

Moses and Aaron’s response in Exodus 16:6–7 brought God back into the conversation: the Lord had brought them out, and their complaints were directed against Him.

Their circumstances had become the basis for conclusions about His character and intentions.

I recognize that pattern.

When pioneering became difficult, I started applying for jobs.

In my case, God had already instructed me to do something different. But familiar provision began looking more dependable than the One Who had called me.

Eventually, He addressed what was underneath my search:

You don’t trust Me.

That realization became part of the companion Daily Recharge, WHAT YOUR CRAVING REALLY MEANS.

The desire was revealing a belief.

And that’s something worth investigating in your own journey.

Because when progress feels slow, conclusions can form quietly.

Maybe God forgot.
Maybe I missed it.
Maybe I’m incapable.
Maybe I need to make something happen.

What has the pace of your journey led you to believe?

And does that belief agree with what God has revealed?

Watch today’s Daily Recharge: WHAT YOUR CRAVING REALLY MEANS

What you desire may reveal what you still believe. In this companion conversation, discover how to admit, adjust, and align the cravings that aren’t serving your purpose.

What Can You Do Faithfully Now?

Slowness alone doesn’t prove that you’re aligned.

It doesn’t prove that you’re misaligned either.

You may need to correct something.
You may need clearer instructions.
You may need to continue doing what God already said.

The pace itself doesn’t answer those questions.

So, before you accelerate, seek understanding.

What responsibility is already in your hands?

What truth have you discovered but haven’t consistently applied?

What needs to mature so you can function well when the opportunity comes?

Those questions give you something useful to do with now.

In traffic, I could have checked my surroundings more carefully.

I could have adjusted my expectations.

I could have accepted that reaching my destination safely mattered more than reaching it at the time I preferred.

Instead, I spent the moment trying to escape it.

And the escape created an entirely different situation.

Consider what might happen if you used this part of your journey to become more aware, disciplined, prepared, or settled in what God has said.

You would still be moving.

You would also be developing the capacity to function when you arrive.

Arrival becomes much more meaningful when you’re prepared to live there.

Today’s Activation

Take a moment to complete this statement honestly:

Because this is taking longer than I expected, I’ve started believing __________.

Then work through these questions:

1. Where did my expected timeline come from? Identify whether it came from God’s instructions, previous experience, comparison, or personal preference.

2. What has God actually said? Return to Scripture and revisit the instructions He has already given you. Examine your conclusion in light of that truth.

3. What can I do faithfully now? Identify one practical response that agrees with what you discover.

Invite Holy Spirit to guide you as you work through those answers.

You may discover that a change in direction is needed.

You may discover that your expectations need adjusting.

Or you may recognize that you already have enough instruction to take the next faithful step.

Give yourself time to hear clearly.

Continue the Conversation

For a deeper look at the mindset, maturity, and costs involved in rushing, watch or listen to the [SHIFT] Podcast episode WHY WAIT LOSS DOESN’T WORK.

Then join me for WHAT YOUR CRAVING REALLY MEANS on The Daily Recharge, where we investigate the beliefs fueling our desires and work through a practical strategy: Admit → Adjust → Align.

And before you go, let’s make this a conversation:

What have you learned about yourself when life moved slower than you expected?

Share your experience in the comments.

The lane you’re in deserves a closer look before you leave it.

There may be something you can gain while you wait.

Have an incredible day!

Reginald Hinton Jr.

President | Indurance Movement