Next Level

The billionaire wants power.
The millionaire wants more.
The worker wants a raise.
The student wants freedom.
The influencer wants followers.

Everyone wants the next level.
Even in faith.

We talk about going higher,
stepping into new seasons,
reaching new dimensions.
We say things like “promotion is coming,”
as if spiritual growth is something we can climb.

But when I read Scripture,
I don’t see ladders.
I see fishermen leaving boats behind,
a tax collector walking away from his ledger,
and ordinary people learning to live for something beyond themselves.

Jesus never talked about advancement.
He talked about abiding.
He didn’t seek position. He taught surrender.
He didn’t promise recognition. He promised peace.

But we live in a world that glorifies the mountaintops.
We exalt the ones who made it.
And we wonder if we are falling behind.
Maybe we should be further along by now?

The longer I follow Him,
the more I’ve learned that His way isn’t about rising higher.
It’s about becoming more grounded.
Where dependence deepens and trust becomes real.

The next level never satisfies.
It was never meant to.
There will always be another rung,
another title,
another finish line that keeps moving.

But when I rest in Him,
the striving ceases.
The ladder fades.
And I remember that real growth happens underground,
in the dark soil where faith learns to breathe.

The next level isn’t up there somewhere.
It’s right here,
where pride gives way to peace,
and the soul finally stops reaching,
because it’s already home.

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