Nobody Talks About the Boring Stuff (Why consistency matters more than charisma, and how real growth happens in ordinary days)
You know what I’ve noticed?
Nobody ever warns you that being a responsible adult mostly feels like a never-ending loop of wiping counters, replying to emails, reheating coffee, and making decisions like, “Do I want to deal with chicken or just eat toast again?”
It’s not glamorous. There are no fireworks. No theme music. No moment where someone walks into the room with a clipboard and says, “Congratulations—you’re now a functioning adult. Please accept this plant you’ll probably kill.”
Nope. It’s just ordinary days stacked on top of each other. Small decisions. Quiet habits. The same dozen responsibilities repeated over and over again. And somehow, that’s the life God uses to grow us.
The Real Work Happens in the Ordinary
We’re taught to look for God in the big moments—answered prayers, open doors, mountaintop clarity. But for most of us, the real work of God happens somewhere else entirely. It happens in the small things. The boring things. The slow, repetitive, invisible decisions that no one else claps for.
We want transformation to feel like a moment. But most of the time, it feels like a choice you have to make again tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that.
You grow in your faith the same way you grow in anything else—by showing up when you don’t feel like it, doing the right thing when it’s not convenient, and refusing to let boredom or discouragement have the final word.
When No One Applauds Your Faithfulness
There are days when I sit down to write, knowing full well the post I’m writing might not be read by anyone outside my circle. I prepare lectures, record podcasts, edit book chapters, and wonder if the work is adding up to anything people will actually see. And even though my book, The Thoughtful Christian, has just been published, I promise—there were plenty of days before the launch when I thought about quitting.
Not dramatically. Just quietly. The kind of quitting where you don’t storm out—you just stop showing up.
But here’s the thing: I don’t do it because God told me that people would “read” it. I do it because God told me to “write.”
I don’t teach because the impact is immediate. I teach because God called me to serve the people He places in front of me—one class, one student, one moment at a time.
There are no confetti cannons for obedience. No round of applause for spiritual discipline. But faithfulness was never about being seen. It’s about being known—by our Heavely Father who created us for this purpose. The big stuff and the boring stuff.
Faithfulness Over Flash
We live in a world that’s captivated by charisma. Everything is built around being seen, being heard, being impressive. From social media to career goals, there’s this underlying pressure to be productive and influential at all times. But the older I get, and the longer I walk with the Lord, the less I’m impressed by any of that. I’m certain God isn’t.
God isn’t looking for flashy. He’s looking for faithful.
The quiet, consistent kind of faithful. The kind that doesn’t get retweeted or recorded. The kind that wakes up early to pray even when it feels dry. The kind that chooses integrity when no one’s watching. The kind that says no to gossip, yes to forgiveness, and holds its tongue when it would feel good to say that one last thing. That kind of faithfulness may never go viral—but it will stand the test of time.
Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” And let me tell you, that verse hits differently when you’ve been doing the right thing for a long time and nothing seems to be changing. When you’ve shown up, stayed kind, stayed obedient, stayed present—and still feel unseen.
But Scripture doesn’t tell us to keep going because it’ll be easy or exciting. It tells us to keep going because God is faithful to reward those who don’t give up. It’s not about momentum. It’s not about performance. It’s about obedience.
And obedience, as it turns out, is where the real fruit grows.
The Boring Part Is the Becoming Part
Nobody really talks about the boring parts of life. Probably because they’re not easy to package or promote. But I’ve come to believe they’re the parts that matter most.
Because they’re the days when you choose faithfulness over feelings. When you get up, do what needs to be done, love the people in front of you, and honor God—not because you’re inspired, but because you said yes to Him. Could have been yesterday, or a long time ago. But you committed to God and giving him the mondane is much harder than giving Him the mountains.
You may not feel like anything extraordinary is happening right now. You may wonder if what you’re doing matters. But I promise you, the small things—the repetitive, quiet, inconvenient things—are not lost on God. He sees every act of obedience. He honors every step of faithfulness. He’s building something in you that isn’t just strong, but lasting.
And one day, whether on this side of heaven or the other, you’ll look back and realize that the boring parts weren’t a detour or a dead-end. They were the foundation.
So keep showing up. Keep choosing the good. Keep doing the work.
It matters. It’s worth it. And, no matter how much if feels like it, it doesn’t go unnoticed.
☕ A little faith, a little courage, and a whole lot of stubborn joy. – Tonya
What’s one “boring” thing you’ve been doing lately that’s actually building something meaningful in your life? I’d love to hear it.
© 2025 All posts written by Tonya E. Lee
