5 Steps to Stop Resting on Your Laurels

This Spiritual Growth UPGRADE by Dawn Wilson considers the importance of continuing to grow in every area of life and not be content with victories in the past.

The old expression “resting on your laurels” refers to relying entirely on successes in the past for continuing recognition. It means we’re too satisfied with past achievements to move forward into growth and new success. No real, consistent effort is made to improve our own life or the lives of others.

Laurel leaves were woven into a ring for contest winners in ancient sporting events. The laurel ring—a Victor’s crown—was placed on the winner’s head for all to see. It brought great praise and honor to the one who wore the crown.

But imagine if that victor just “rested on his laurels” and never did anything else that mattered. How foolish.

Victors would be counseled, “look to your laurels.” Be careful not to lose the rank you achieved in future competitions.

I cannot help but compare this to the Christian life. 

Too many Christians—having fought the good fight of faith in their youth—sit back and reminisce about past answers to prayer, past Kingdom work and past victories. Past blessings are wonderful, but they’re never meant to be the “end all” of the Christian life. And . . . 

Resting on your laurels is the opposite of UPGRADING your life!

So how do we stop resting on our laurels and move forward into new victories?

1. Take a Moment to Remember

We’re not to live in the past, but that doesn’t mean we don’t reflect on what God has done and what it took to get to a place of victory… a place of rest … a place of peace … a place of fruitfulness, etc. “Remember the wondrous works He has done…” (Psalm 105:5). See also Psalm 103:2; Deuteronomy 8:2.

2. Take Stock of What You Have

What is in your hands?  What has the Lord given you NOW to work with? New resources? New skills? New vision? New people to help? New opportunities open with new supply! “Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might….” (Ecclesiastes 9:10a).

3. Take Hold of Faith

Remember that you can do nothing without the Lord (John 15:5; Jesus’ example—5:30), and without faith (in Him), it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

4. Take New Ground

Like the Children of Israel, moving forward into the Promised Land (Joshua 21:43), you can always take new ground when the Lord directs your steps.

• You can take new ground physically. (Lose weight? Get stronger? Get healthier?)
• You can take new ground mentally and emotionally, learning new things and biblical ways to cope with the circumstances of life.
• You can take new ground socially, reaching out to others with selflessness and a servant’s heart.
• And you can always take new ground spiritually. What book of the Bible will you study? What scriptures will you memorize? What will you pray for? Who will you mentor? What can you do to make some corner of the world a better place to the glory of God?

Jesus grew in all of these areas (Luke 2:40, 52) and so can you! There’s no reason to stop growing.

And don’t forget, in these ungodly days:

• You can take new ground against the enemy (Satan). As long as we have breath, we must fight the good fight of faith. We can’t leave it to others. The Captain of our Soul has work for us to do.

 5. Take Every Opportunity to Praise

We forget that God is God and we are not—and all we ever hope to achieve is because of His good grace. So we must take every opportunity to praise Him, honor Him, bring Him glory.

As my friend Pam Farrel reminds me, “Those who honor God, God honors” (see 1 Samuel 2:30). If you want to move forward in victory, be sure you are honoring God. 

Don’t miss this. We can’t just sit back and rest on our laurels. We’ve got to reach forth and take new ground. Because we are soldiers of the cross, and as followers of Christ, we are “on mission” until He calls us home to glory.

My friend Nancy Leigh DeMoss helped me remember a hymn that speaks to this truth. Isaac Watts, in his hymn, “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?” wrote:

“Am I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb,

And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood?

In this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord.

I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word….”

Watts went on to write about the “robes of victory” the saints will wear someday.

Much like a laurel wreath, our victory robes will celebrate what has been achieved, not for us but for the Kingdom. And the glory will all belong to the Lord!

I want to finish well, don’t you?

Are you resting on your laurels? How can you move forward to gain new ground? 

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Ministries, is the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God(with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is the Director of the San Diego chapter of Network of Evangelical Women in MInistry (NEWIM San Diego). Dawn is the co-author ofLOL with God and contributed “The Blessing Basket” in It’s a God Thing. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.