There is a saying: “Be faithful to the process.” Great achievements and the emergence of extraordinary leaders do not happen overnight. They are always forged through long, arduous journeys. If God is truly omnipotent, why does He not accomplish everything instantly through His divine power? This may be a theological question, but it is not a leadership question. A leader does not do everything personally. If God were to execute all things without human participation, there would be neither success nor failure—only perfection. In a perfectly executed world, the concept of imperfection does not even exist. Conversely, in a world without imperfection, the idea of perfection loses its meaning. There would be neither progress nor regression, no human will striving to accomplish God’s work, no struggle through darkness, no joy in achievement, no sorrow in failure, no distinction between good and evil. It would be a vacuum without God or adversary—empty, inert, and devoid of challenge.
Divine providence does not operate in a vacuum. Leaders do not work in a vacuum. They operate at the heart of reality, guiding people and organizations amid life’s trials. Joseph, for example, was placed through the long and challenging journey of the wilderness, a foreign ruler’s household, and even prison, before God could use him in Pharaoh’s palace. Moses’ path was similar: though trained in wisdom and leadership in Pharaoh’s palace, he was forced to flee to the wilderness, abandoning his dreams and living as an ordinary man. A long, harsh path of frustration and despair awaited him—but God allowed Moses to pass through it without exception.
The coming of Jesus was not a random event in the night, triggered by human whim. Paul explains the timing of Christ’s arrival: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman…” (Galatians 4:4). The Old Testament anticipates the Messiah, and as history progresses toward the New Testament, this anticipation intensifies. Similarly, the Second Coming will not occur haphazardly; God orchestrates history until the perfect time and circumstances are ready, and only then will Christ return. Ignoring the process produces weak outcomes. As the old proverb says: “To bloom a single chrysanthemum, the cuckoo must cry from early spring…” Those who neglect the process cannot become great leaders or achieve greatness. In other words, being faithful to the process is the essence of integrity.
Unfortunately, our era tends to prioritize outcomes while neglecting the journey. Faith, perhaps, is the ability to entrust results to God while faithfully executing the process. Hebrews 11, often called the “Faith Chapter,” enumerates the achievements of those who demonstrated faith. Their common trait: they did not rush for immediate results (Hebrews 11:39), but faithfully performed their allotted tasks, trusting God for good outcomes (Hebrews 11:39a). Their journey included mockery, scourging, stoning, perilous tests, imprisonment, wandering deserts, mountains, caves, and hiding places (11:36–38)—yet they persevered (11:35). What mattered most to them was God’s promise and the faithful execution of the process.
Consider the shepherds in Luke 2:8, who received the angelic announcement of Christ’s birth. They were outdoors, tending their flocks in the freezing night. Their faithfulness to the daily, arduous process allowed them to witness the fulfillment of God’s promise.
David’s story offers another example. When Samuel came to anoint a new king, Jesse did not bring his youngest son, David, because even his father did not see him as leader material. After reviewing all of Jesse’s other sons, Samuel asked, “Are all your sons here?” Jesse replied, “The youngest is tending the sheep” (1 Samuel 16:7). David’s focus on faithfully shepherding the flock, rather than seeking publicity or influential connections, prepared him for his eventual role as Israel’s king.
The leaders God seeks in our time are those who abandon vanity, resist over-fixation on immediate results, and commit themselves to the process. Continuous personal development and the diligent execution of responsibilities—these twin practices, faithfully pursued—will inevitably yield fruit when the appointed time comes.