There are times when brethren pray for change. They ask for improvement and speak often about the need for things to be made right. Yet when genuine progress begins to happen, some cannot seem to rejoice in it. This kind of response suggests that something deeper may be at work in the heart, making it difficult to embrace the very good once desired.
Not every needed correction happens overnight. By saying this, we are not endorsing or enabling compromise. It is communicating a reality that change takes time. Sometimes problems have existed for years. Habits become ingrained. Traditions become normal. Misunderstandings become deeply rooted. In such cases, progress often comes step by step. It may begin with one correction, then another, and then another. Wisdom, patience, teaching, and time are required, and nothing can replace their role in our lives.
Scripture says, “For who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10). The Lord rebuked those who could not appreciate humble beginnings. They were looking for something grand and immediate, while God was at work through gradual restoration. May we never forget that it is God who is truly at work in our lives.
This is a common weakness in us. We often imagine that real change must be dramatic, instant, and impossible to miss. If it does not arrive in the form we expected or in the way we would have chosen, we dismiss it as insignificant or minimize it altogether. We overlook the quiet victories, the softened hearts, the corrected attitudes, the renewed conversations, and the small acts of obedience that often mark the beginning of something much greater.
Yet many of God’s greatest works begin in ways that seem unimpressive to human eyes. A seed in the ground does not look like a harvest. A foundation does not look like a finished house. A single step does not look like a journey completed. Without those beginnings, nothing lasting is ever built.
People who minimize small progress often remain discouraged because they are waiting for perfection before they allow themselves to be thankful. In doing so, they miss the evidence that God is already working. Gratitude recognizes growth while faith continues to hope for more.
The same danger exists today. Some people cannot recognize progress because they are too focused on what has not yet been fixed. Every improvement is met with, “But what about this?” or “What about that?” Every answered concern is replaced with a new criticism. The goalposts are constantly moving until everything matches their preferred outcome. There is no gratitude, no encouragement, and no acknowledgment that good, faithful steps are being taken.
There is a difference between discernment and cynicism. Discernment cares about truth and remains watchful. Cynicism refuses to be pleased even when truth is advancing. Discernment can encourage while still being careful. Cynicism only knows how to suspect, criticize, and complain through assumptions.
Consider the older brother in Luke 15. When the prodigal son returned, the father rejoiced. But the older brother could not celebrate restoration because his heart was wrong. He was more committed to grievance than joy. We need to be careful that we are not guilty of having the same kind of spirit as the older brother in this instance.
Faithful Christians should be able to rejoice in every genuine step toward truth, even when more work remains. In Revelation 2 and 3, five of the seven churches of Asia had serious issues that needed correction, yet the Lord had not given up on them. He confronted their sins, called them to repent, and still invited them to overcome. There was still hope even with the warning of severe consequences if they refused. We can acknowledge that not everything is perfect while still thanking God for movement in the right direction.
If a person or congregation corrects one matter, rejoice. If leaders become more thoughtful, rejoice. If hearts are opening to Scripture, rejoice. If needed conversations are finally happening, rejoice. Give God the glory for every good step.
Let us be careful that frustration does not harden our hearts. Let us not become people who are disappointed whenever progress is made because it did not happen in the exact way or timeline we preferred. Love “rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). That means when truth gains ground, faithful hearts should be glad.
Dear church, do not ignore or despise progress when God is bringing it about.