As we step into a new year, I’ve been thinking about a story I recently came across while reading National Geographic’s year-in-review. One photograph in particular stopped me. It showed part of Africa’s Great Green Wall—a project launched nearly 20 years ago to restore life, food, and hope across regions devastated by war, desertification, and drought. This living wall of trees and vegetation stretches across the continent, often in places where water is painfully scarce.

What struck the writer most—and what struck me—was a small village featured in the story. In one section of the wall, the odds of survival looked almost impossible. Dry land. Minimal resources. And yet, day after day, one woman (sometimes joined by a few others) carried water by hand to keep that patch of vegetation alive. From the outside, it didn’t look sustainable. It didn’t look impressive. It certainly didn’t look like it would work. But over time—through consistency and faithfulness—that small section of the wall began to thrive.

That image has stayed with me because it feels like such a powerful picture of the Christian life.

So often, we want thriving to look dramatic—breakthrough moments, emotional highs, instant transformation. And while God certainly works in powerful moments, the way He has designed us to grow is far more ordinary, far more daily, and far more faithful than flashy. Jesus understood this when He spoke to His disciples.

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him daily (Luke 9:23). That word matters. He wasn’t speaking to the crowds after a victory or miracle high; He said this immediately after clarifying who He was and predicting His own suffering, making it clear that following Him would be costly, intentional, and ongoing—not occasional or convenient.

Daily following is how life takes root.

Many of us would say we want to thrive spiritually. Who wouldn’t? But thriving isn’t a flash-in-the-pan kind of Christianity. It’s not built on once-a-week inspiration or  “microdoses.” It’s formed in the quiet faithfulness of today—choosing prayer again, opening Scripture again, surrendering again, trusting again. One watering can at a time.

From the outside, daily obedience can look small. Insignificant, even. But over a year? Over a lifetime? It changes the landscape.

That’s where many of us lose heart—not because we don’t want to grow, but because we underestimate the power of consistency. Jesus didn’t tell us to follow Him daily to burden us; He told us because He knows we need Him daily. We leak. We forget. We wander. And He lovingly calls us back, every single day.

As we begin this new year, let’s not overcomplicate discipleship. Let’s embrace the simplicity of steady, faithful following. There is no better day to start than today. Pick up the watering can. Show up again tomorrow. Trust that God brings growth.

Thriving happens one faithful day at a time