Several years ago, I planted a small orange tree in my yard. It was flourishing in the Houston climate — until an unusual deep freeze stripped the foliage, leaving only a dried stick.

I asked a friend with plant knowledge whether I should uproot and discard what remained of the sapling.

My friend said, “The tree is not dead. There is still life in the roots. As long as you keep watering and tending the soil, your tree will blossom again.”

After months of following this advice, nothing had changed. Just when I was ready to jettison the tree, I noticed some green shoots. Later, leaves and blossoms appeared.

I marveled at the tree’s resilience, grateful I didn’t give up on it. What had looked dead on the outside held a hidden reservoir of strength that helped it survive the winter and prepare for a spring comeback.

Sometimes in ministry we plant and sow, visit and pray, fast and weep, launch and release, take classes and prepare — with no fruit in sight.

When people are leaving, finances are depleted, and the volunteer base is shrinking, we might even feel tempted to quit.

Yet during difficult seasons, God is still at work. He is stretching, growing, and maturing us for our good and His glory.

The Old Testament story of Joseph highlights this reality. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned, Joseph could have yielded to cold despair. Instead, he faithfully served God and grew in hard spaces.

While giving a final blessing to his sons, Jacob described Joseph as a fruitful vine climbing over a wall (Genesis 49:22). The barriers Joseph encountered were not the end of his story.

With steadfast faith, Joseph rose above the difficulties he faced. Even prison walls could not keep him from fulfilling his God-given purpose.

Against the Wall

God can move any obstacle, of course. But there are times when the Lord does not break down walls in front of us because He wants us to grow over them. Through the process, God is also shaping our hearts.

James 1:2–4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Similarly, Romans 5:3–5 says, “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

God uses difficult seasons to build character and orient our hearts toward His hope and love.

We’ll never reach our full potential without growth. Growing over a wall means confronting barriers, stretching, and doing hard things.

Maybe God is prompting you to take a specific action, such as going back to school, finding a coach or mentor, paying off debt, planting a church, answering the call to missions, learning a new language, or writing a book. Or perhaps He is simply asking you to serve faithfully right where you are, persevering amid difficult circumstances.

Change is seldom easy. Waiting for things to change can be agonizing. But following where God leads is always the right next step — even if it’s frightening.

In the words of Donna Barrett, former general secretary of the Assemblies of God, “Do it scared!”

Courage is not the absence of fear; it is obedience in the face of fear.

With God’s help, we can scale whatever walls stand in the way (Psalm 18:29). He makes it possible to endure trials and do hard things with strength, hope, and even joy.

Hard Seasons

Our church’s leadership team entered 2020 full of optimism for the year ahead. Not long after sharing our vision and goals with the congregation, however, everything came to a screeching halt.

Change is seldom easy. Waiting for things to change can be agonizing. But following where God leads is always the right next step 
— even if it’s frightening.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions in our city, we moved exclusively to virtual services for the next several months.

As a pastor, I felt frustrated. Had we missed God’s will? How were we supposed to achieve our vision for outreach and community building when we couldn’t even leave our homes?

Have you ever found yourself asking, “God, what happened? Can these dry bones really live again?”

As I surveyed the rubble of toppled plans and unfulfilled dreams, I looked to Scripture for guidance. During that season, I studied the Book of Nehemiah — not for sermon material, but because I could relate.

Nehemiah’s story starts in a place of sorrow. Years had passed since the first exiles returned from captivity. Yet Jerusalem’s walls remained in ruins.

When Nehemiah heard about the city’s condition, he wept. Those tears watered the soil from which new beginnings would spring.

From Nehemiah, we can glean several principles for growing during hard seasons.

Seek God

Nehemiah grieved, but he didn’t sink into despair. In fact, he quickly brought his concerns to God: “I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4).

Several months passed before Nehemiah left for Jerusalem. Instead of reacting impulsively, he took time to seek God.

The road ahead would not be easy. Far more than just a construction project, Nehemiah’s task was about rebuilding the spiritual and social climate and reconciling hearts to God. Launching this project from a seedbed of prayer was crucial.

Before God transforms a situation, He often changes us. Through prayer, we release doubts and disappointments to God and allow Him to fortify our resolve.

First Chronicles 16:11 says, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

Psalm 34:10 highlights the sustaining power of God’s presence: “The lions my grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

The Hebrew word for “seek” in these texts is darash, which is related to an Arabic word that describes treading or frequenting a particular place.

When we pray and seek God’s will, we are marking the ground and treading a path to our miracle. As we frequent His presence, we bring our thoughts and emotions back to a place of clarity and peace in God.

Before Esther risked everything by appearing before the king without an invitation, she called for a fast (Esther 4:16).

Knowing He was about to face crucifixion, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–44).

Preparation for navigating difficult circumstances begins with prayer. When you feel tired or overwhelmed, lean into God’s presence. If you are in a rebuilding season, pick up some of the rubble and create an altar of prayer.

Examine

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he did not start building and delegating tasks right away. He first examined the broken walls (Nehemiah 2:13–16).

Nehemiah took ownership of the situation rather than asking someone else to bring him a report. Working alone during the night, he moved through the rubble and saw the mess for himself.

There is value in taking time for quiet examination. When dealing with a problem in ministry, it’s easy to complain, deflect, or cast blame. But wise leaders look, listen, and ask questions. They seek to understand the situation instead of merely reacting to it.

Proverbs 14:8 says, “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.”

Examination isn’t the same as inaction. In every church, there are systems and processes that no longer work. It takes courage to confront these issues honestly. The worst thing we can do is ignore problems indefinitely and hope they self-correct.

Jesus shared a parable in Luke 13:6–9 about a fig tree that wasn’t bearing fruit. The vineyard owner wanted this tree removed right away, but the caretaker asked for one more year.

During that time, the caretaker planned to fertilize the tree and aerate its roots. This would allow him to evaluate the situation thoroughly before making an irreversible decision.

In John 15, Jesus similarly described the Father as a Gardener who examines, prunes, and cuts off branches.

“I am the vine; you are the branches,” Jesus said. “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (verse 5).

With this in mind, the first thing a leader must examine is his or her own heart. If there are cracks in spiritual disciplines or breaches in character, we will not be able to achieve sustainable growth.

As shepherds, we must also identify and address unhealthy habits and unresolved conflicts in the communities we lead.

This means opening lines of communication, asking hard questions, examining leadership practices, and calling for repentance where needed.

Remember

After praying, waiting, and examining the situation, Nehemiah shared his God-given vision and rallied the people to rise up and build.

Obedience did not exempt Nehemiah and his crew from attacks, however. On multiple occasions, neighboring rulers Geshem, Sanballat, and Tobiah tried to stop the rebuilding project.

The people prayed and posted guards. Still, morale was suffering amid threats and frightening reports:

The people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.” Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us” (Nehemiah 4:10–12).

Whether walking through difficulties personally or as a church, the condition of our hearts will always determine the work of our hands.

The climate of fear was paralyzing, and discouragement set in.

When hardship and opposition distract us from the mission, ministry begins to feel like a burden rather than a blessing.

But there is an antidote to discouragement. Nehemiah said, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes” (4:14).

Nehemiah spoke to hearts by tapping into a reservoir of faith-building memories. The people did not need a strategy for building more effectively. They needed to remember God’s greatness.

Whether walking through difficulties personally or as a church, the condition of our hearts will always determine the work of our hands. Spiritual amnesia disturbs our peace, but remembrance helps us refocus on the Lord.

During hard seasons, we can recall how God has provided in the past and encourage others by talking about His goodness.

Juxtaposing momentary troubles with God’s eternal glory and faithfulness keeps crises in perspective. Instead of dwelling on the anxious what ifs, we remember whom we serve.

Build

In response to the threats, Nehemiah assigned some to guard the worksite while others built. Even those engaged in construction were ready for battle.

According to Nehemiah 4:17–18, “Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.”

In the work of ministry, we must remain alert to the enemies of discouragement and burnout. Our weapons are not physical, but they are powerful. They include prayer, as well as the sword of the Spirit — God’s Word (Ephesians 6:17).

The same Spirit who brought order from chaos in Genesis 1 desires to walk with us today and transform the unstable places in our lives. The One who raised Jesus from the dead brings us resurrection hope (Romans 8:1–2; 2 Corinthians 4:13–14).

Nehemiah’s obedience through hard seasons led to growth in himself and others. The builders relied on God, supported one another, and made rapid progress, completing the wall in just 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15).

Even Nehemiah’s opponents recognized God’s central role in this remarkable accomplishment.

Nehemiah 6:16 says, “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.”

Ministry leaders should strive to equip team members not only with knowledge and wisdom, but also spiritual reservoirs for persevering through hard seasons of rebuilding and growing.

This requires a shepherd’s heart and a culture of open communication, mentoring, prayer, and discipleship.

A New Way

Reflecting on the hard COVID season of 2020, those months were the most challenging — and fruitful — I have experienced in ministry.

We unyoked ourselves from formal plans, busy programs, and routines, and rediscovered the deep wellsprings of God’s presence.

Ever since that time, God has been teaching us a more productive way to rebuild His Church.

The Lord brought us back to a Spirit-shaped congregational life. We stopped babysitting Christians and started making disciples. We stretched and grew, though not in the ways we expected.

Amid the rubble of what we thought represented our strength and success, God used this overwhelming season to push us past barriers. We asked hard questions and made the necessary changes to align with His plan.

It was not easy. There were times when we questioned our calling or contemplated job relocation. Nonetheless, we kept leaning in.

We kept treading the path of continual prayer and careful examination. We remembered what God had already done and built on the foundation of His faithfulness.

Along with tools of wisdom, strategy, and leadership principles, we picked up the sword of spiritual effectiveness — interceding, fasting, and studying God’s Word.

When we learn to grow through hard seasons God’s way, life sprouts organically. We don’t have to force or program it. Growth happens because we are connected to the Vine.

Perhaps right now you can’t see a way past whatever struggles you’re facing. The process of moving forward can be hard. Yet just as God helped Nehemiah rebuild and guided our church toward a healthier spiritual climate, He is at work in you during this difficult season.

Don’t think about how to transition out of the ministry God has given you or abort the mission. Do not walk away.

Take up your tools, pick up your sword, and rise up to build again. By faith, you can overcome every obstacle.

It’s time to grow over the wall.

Adapted from The Heart of a Pathfinder: Charting Paths for the Next Generation (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2026).

This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of Influence magazine.