Five Words A Day

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord … Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin …   Zechariah 4:6 & 10

I never dreamed I’d write a book. Yet by God’s grace and five words a day, it happened. The reality still feels surreal. When people ask how long it took me to write it, I often say, “Thirty years,” which usually gets a chuckle. But the more accurate answer is that it took just over a year to write and publish Following the Invisible Jesus. Both are true. 

Everything about the process was new and unknown. I needed a rhythm, not a deadline. That’s when I remembered something Bob Goff said on his Writing Room Podcast: “Write five good words a day.” He encouraged aspiring writers to just keep writing, to let their bad words be “catnip for the good ones.”That phrase stuck with me. I promised myself to write at least five words a day. Most days, I wrote much more. But the promise was freeing rather than burdensome. I felt empowered, not shackled.

Zechariah 4 is God’s reminder that big, holy things often start small. The Israelites were rebuilding the temple, and their efforts seemed trivial. But God says the work will succeed—not by human strength, but by his Spirit. And he rejoices to see it begin.

It turns out, the Spirit delights in small starts. He turns water into wine. He turns five daily words into a book that honors him. He brings meaning to our work and lets joy spill out in the process. Embracing “five words a day” became the secret sauce behind my book. But it also became a metaphor I now use in coaching others who have a dream that feels out of reach.

Do you have a dream? Or maybe there’s a part of your life where you feel stuck? In coaching, we often ask: What’s the next step? For me, for one whole year, the next step was five words a day. The book is done, but I’m still writing—because the Spirit is still speaking, and the joy keeps flowing.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin. A good coach can help you name your next small step—toward the life God had in mind when he created you.

Run the play. Take the next step. Joy awaits.

“He turns water into wine. He turns five daily words into a book that honors him. He brings meaning to our work and lets joy spill out in the process.”

Finding Our Place in the Story

1. What “small beginning” might the Spirit be inviting you to embrace today?
2. What dream feels out of reach—and what’s one “five word” step you could take toward it?
3. How have you seen God turn something ordinary (like words) into something extraordinary?