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An excerpt from “Designed to Succeed.”
Every stage of success in every part of life requires a deeper level of surrender and refinement. The moment you crown yourself your own teacher is the moment you stop being teachable and step out of God’s design for your success. And so the question we must continually ask ourselves is not “Am I done?” but “Am I still willing to grow?”
I (Donovan) remember being invited to a personal development seminar. I was a little unsure about going because I wasn’t familiar with the organization. But I did what any responsible adult would do and asked someone more in the know about it. The person I asked was my mentor, who also happened to be the master coach who trained me. He told me that he was familiar with the organization and that I was grounded enough in my faith to be able to reap the core benefit of what they had to offer without being swept away by the nuances.
On the first day, I walked into the seminar and saw all the chairs, the whiteboards, the projection screen, the coffee and pastries, and of course, my fellow attendees. Some looked eager, some skeptical, and a few even looked as though they’d rather be anywhere but there. I was somewhere in the middle. This wasn’t my first workshop or course like this. I was cautiously optimistic that I might pick up something useful over the next few days.
It didn’t take long for me to go from skeptical to all in.
During one of the early sessions, one of the facilitators dropped a line that caught me completely off guard: “The moment you think you have it all figured out is the moment your growth stops.” It was like she was speaking directly to me. The moment you think you have made it is the moment your growth stops. Guilty as charged. Whether it was booking a big speaking gig or gaining recognition or hitting a milestone, I secretly assumed that every one of these moments was a finish line, and I lusted for them as if they were the answers to every problem in my life. I now had to face an uncomfortable truth. Success is not a ladder you climb and then sit at the top of enjoying the view. Instead, it is more like a beautiful, endless spiral staircase. Every step up gives you a new vantage point while also revealing another turn ahead.
These thoughts stayed with me long after the workshop was over. I took a fresh look at the finish lines I’d crossed. I saw now that each one was a place where God had planted seeds for rooms I had not yet entered. We are to always remain in the process of becoming by aligning. That is where God meets us. Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The word renewing refers to a continuous process. Like water, a mind stagnates when nothing new flows in and nothing old flows out. But it is renewed when we learn and question and explore. Proverbs 9:9 says, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning” (ESV). That is God’s divine design for us, a lifetime of ever-increasing wisdom that continues as long as we resist the arrogance of “I’ve arrived” and stay present to the work he is doing in us right now.
To the cynics who say, “People don’t change,” I’d reply, “No, they evolve if they choose to.” But evolution requires humility and surrender. It demands that you step into each day as both a student of and a participant in God’s ongoing creation. You’ll always have an opportunity to learn because God never stops teaching. Every challenge is a curriculum that can help you cultivate your character and realize your potential.
Keep turning the pages. Your story—and your growth—is not finished.
Three practical steps to keep a student’s heart
There is a difference between knowing the path and walking it.
Here are three steps that we’ve learned keep us at the feet of the Master, where we get to soak up all we can from him:
1. Schedule weekly check-ins with the Holy Spirit.
Don’t wait until you feel burned out or hit a wall. At regular intervals each week, spend time alone with God and whisper the prayer, “What are you trying to teach me, Lord?” Recognize that setbacks and delays can be the most trying times to keep our ears attuned to God’s lessons.
2. Surround yourself with voices that challenge and sharpen you.
When God teaches, he often uses a human voice. Find coaches, mentors, pastors or peers who are wise but who also love you enough to call out your blind spots. Many of the lessons we most need to learn are ones we don’t even realize we need. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Sharpening comes with friction. Be open to learning from those who are so different from you that you prefer to avoid them. What might God be saying to you through them?
3. Practice the daily pause of humility.
In James 1:5, God promises to give wisdom to anyone who asks. Before making key decisions or forming conclusions, ask, “What do I still need to learn about this?” One of the greatest signs of wisdom is the humility to admit what you do not know and the willingness to learn more.
Remember, if you are still alive, you have yet to graduate from God’s school. That’s the beauty of God’s plan. Every challenge is a new course. Every victory is a new degree. As long as you are breathing, you’re enrolled. Keep sharpening your mind, your craft, and your character. Heaven’s curriculum is customized for each of us.
Adapted from “Designed to Succeed” by Kevin Olusola and Donovan Donnell. Copyright Kevin Olusola and Donovan Donnell © (June 2026) by Zondervan. Used by permission of Zondervan, www.zondervan.com.
Do Good:
- Read “Designed to Succeed: A Faith-Driven Blueprint to Building the Life You Were Created to Live” (Zondervan, 2026) by Kevin Olusola and Donovan Donnell.
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