The Idol of Results:
Why the Fast Track Won’t Last
Every part of human nature prioritizes results. Whether we want to lose 10 pounds, hit a sales quota, or earn $10,000 more, we are constantly bombarded with messages that tell us quicker is better. Late-night infomercials, Instagram reels, and online ads promise faster weight loss, growth, and success.
And if we’re honest, we don’t just want results—we want them to come quickly and painlessly.
But as we chase the results we crave, it’s easy to forget something essential: the rhythms of our lives are what shape our results. Our daily habits, spiritual disciplines, and internal pace form the foundation for lasting change.
I’ve written about this before, [Click the link below], but this truth bears repeating. It’s not just about productivity; it’s about your soul. We live in a microwave culture, but we serve a crockpot God.
The Idol of Instant Results
If you’re leading a ministry, building a business, or simply trying to live intentionally, you’ve probably felt the tension between what you want and what your soul needs.
You want momentum, numbers, and affirmation. But your soul craves margin, presence, and rest.
In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer puts it plainly:
“You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”[1]
We are addicted to hustle. But hustle without a holy rhythm is just glorified striving. Struggling, even with spiritual goals, will eventually lead to burnout.
The Israelites struggled with this, too. When Moses delayed coming down from Mount Sinai, they couldn’t wait. They needed action, results, something visible—so they built a golden calf (Exodus 32). Impatience always builds idols.
We do the same. We want the fruit without preparing the soil. We crave influence without rootedness. We want the outcome without the obedience.
But fruitfulness without formation is fragile.
The Way of Jesus: Rhythms that Carry Results
Jesus was never in a hurry. Even with the weight of the world on His shoulders, He moved at the pace of love—intentional, present, and unhurried.
Before He launched His public ministry, what did He do?
He spent 40 days in the wilderness.
Before the miracles came the margin.
Before the cross came the quiet.
Before the resurrection came the rhythm.
Even in the busiest seasons of His ministry, Jesus withdrew to be alone with the Father.
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” — Luke 5:16
For Jesus, rhythm wasn’t optional. It was vital.
Pete Scazzero puts it powerfully in Emotionally Healthy Spirituality:
“Work for God that is not nourished by a deep interior life with God will eventually be contaminated by ego, power, and needing approval of and from others, and buying into the wrong ideas of success and the mistaken belief that we can’t fail.”[2]
When we chase results without spiritual rhythm, we risk building a life or ministry that looks good on the outside but collapses under pressure.
If your inner life can’t support the weight of your outer life, it’s only a matter of time before something breaks.
Healthy Rhythms Are Acts of Resistance
The spiritual life isn’t about optimizing your output but aligning your soul.
Yes, goals are good. Discipline is wise. But if you don’t have rhythms rooted in God’s presence, even your best intentions can turn into anxious striving.
The Bible is full of rhythm:
Creation: Six days of work, one day of rest (Genesis 2:2–3)
Jesus: Rising early to pray, retreating from crowds, breaking bread slowly (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16)
Paul: Pausing on mission to rest, write, worship, and strengthen the church (Acts 14:26–28)
Rhythms don’t cancel results. They carry them.
They’re the slow and sacred path to fruit that lasts.
Practical Rhythms That Build Spiritual Results
You might be asking: “Okay, I’m listening. But where do I start?”
Here are a few rhythms that can help you stay rooted as you pursue meaningful results:
1. Daily Silence and Solitude
Start your day with just five minutes of stillness. Sit quietly with God, meditate on a single verse, and breathe deeply. Don’t scroll—just be.
“Be still and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
2. Weekly Sabbath
Set aside one day a week to stop, rest, delight, and worship. Sabbath isn’t a reward for getting everything done—it’s a reminder that your identity isn’t in what you produce.
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” — Mark 2:27
3. Monthly Reset
Once a month, carve out a half-day for a personal retreat. No phone. No meetings. Just space to reflect, journal, and recalibrate your pace with God’s.
4. Rule of Life
A “rule of life” is simply a personal rhythm plan. It includes the practices and boundaries that help you become the person God calls you to be. Pete Scazzero offers a practical framework for crafting one in Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.
5. Digital Boundaries
In a noisy world, silence is a spiritual discipline. Limit notifications, create screen-free zones, and consider a Sabbath from your phone. John Mark Comer says bluntly: our souls can’t thrive under constant digital stimulation.
The Results Will Come—But That’s Not the Goal
Jesus didn’t promise quick results. He promised fruit.
And fruit takes time.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit…” — John 15:5
Notice the word: remain.
That’s rhythm language. That’s the slow, steady, rooted way of Jesus.
The results you’re working for—in your ministry, family, health, and calling—will only be sustainable to the degree your rhythms are sacred.
You don’t need to strive harder.
You need to go deeper.
You don’t need a new strategy.
You need a better rhythm.
Three Questions to Reflect On:
Where in your life are you prioritizing results over rhythm?
What’s one small rhythm you can start (or return to) this week?
What would it look like to ruthlessly eliminate hurry in your current season?
Let’s walk the long road together.
It’s slower.
But it’s sacred.
And what fruit does it produce? It lasts.
If you are interested in going deeper into your journey to beating burnout, building resilience, and thriving in life, go to https://theelevatecollective.co and set up a free call. You can also go to my Instagram page @chrisstephen3 and DM me 'RESET’ and I will send you a free resource on how to beat burnout and build resilience.
[1] John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2019), 19.
[2] Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2017), 31.