I write about leadership at the intersection of timeless principles and modern workplaces. Follow for weekly insights on building teams that actually work. For more articles like this consider subscribing to my Substack at: https://christianleadership.now

There is a principle in physics called friction. Static friction is the force that keeps a stationary object from moving. Kinetic friction is the force that resists an object that is already moving. Here is the key insight: static friction is always higher than kinetic friction. It takes more force to start pushing a heavy box across the floor than it does to keep it moving once you get it going. The hardest part is not the pushing; it is the starting. The same principle applies to faith. The hardest part of obedience is not the obedience itself. It is the first thirty seconds when you have to initiate movement against every fiber of your being that wants to stay planted right where you are.

Yesterday we talked about ACT, the fourth step of the Watchman’s Protocol. You have Arrested the thought, Audited the impulse, Aligned with Truth. You know exactly what you need to do. You need to walk down the hall and apologize for the sarcastic comment you made in the meeting that got a laugh but crushed a colleague’s spirit. And you absolutely do not want to do it. Every part of you is screaming “No.” You feel the resistance. You feel the humiliation. Your brain is offering alternatives: “I will just send a text.” “I will do it tomorrow.” “They started it anyway.” But deep down, you know the truth. You need to stand up, walk down the hall, knock on the door, and say the words out loud. This is kinetic faith. This is the moment when static friction must be overcome.

We often call this feeling “hypocrisy.” We think, “If I do this good thing while feeling this bad way, I am being a fake.” We have it backward. This is not hypocrisy; it is discipline. Hypocrisy is concealing sin to look righteous. Discipline is acting against the impulse of sin to achieve righteousness. Faith is not a feeling you wait for; it is a movement you initiate. You act your way into a new feeling; you rarely feel your way into a new action. And the most profound truth about kinetic faith is this: the feeling of closeness to God is the reward for obedience, not the fuel for it. You do not obey because you feel close to God. You feel close to God because you obeyed.

Here is what this looks like in practice. It is Tuesday afternoon. You are sitting at your desk. You know what you need to do, and you know you do not want to do it. This is the moment when most leaders lose the battle. They wait for the feeling to catch up. They wait to “feel sorry” before they apologize. They wait to “feel confident” before they make the call. They wait to “feel close to God” before they obey. And the feeling never comes, because feelings follow action, not the other way around. So you make the choice. You physically stand up. You put one foot in front of the other. You walk down the hall. You knock on the door. You open your mouth and say the words: “Hey, I was out of line in that meeting. I let my ego get the better of me, and I disrespected you. I am sorry. Will you forgive me?” You do not wait to feel the apology. You speak the words because they are true. And usually, about ten minutes later, your feelings catch up. The tension breaks. The relationship is healed. You feel the relief and the peace of righteousness. But the feelings came after the action, not before it.

This is the pattern we see throughout Scripture. In Joshua 3, the priests carried the ark of the covenant to the Jordan River at flood stage. The water did not part when they prayed. It did not part when they Aligned with God’s command. It parted when their feet touched the water’s edge. God often waits for your foot to hit the water before He moves the river. He is not being cruel; He is teaching you that faith is kinetic, not static. If you wait for dry ground, for feelings of safety or peace or excitement, you will die on the bank. But if you step into the flooding river, you will watch the impossible happen. This is the physics of faith. God gives the impulse to move, but you must provide the motion. Static friction must be overcome by your first step, and then kinetic faith takes over and carries you through.

The hardest part of ACT is not the full act itself. It is the first thirty seconds. It is standing up from your desk. It is taking the first step down the hall. It is opening your mouth to speak the first word. Once you initiate the movement, kinetic friction takes over and the act becomes easier. But you have to push through static friction first, and that push feels like death. This is why so many leaders never close the gap. They run the first three A’s perfectly. They Arrest, Audit, Align. They know what they should do. And then they stop. They wait for the feeling to hit, and the feeling never comes. They are waiting for kinetic friction when they are still stuck in static friction. The movement must be initiated, not waited for.

Tomorrow we will go deeper into the story of Joshua 3, the priests stepping into the flooding river, and what it means to trust God when He asks you to move before He parts the water. But today, the question is simple: What is the one thing you know you need to do but have been waiting to “feel like” doing? Stop waiting. Static friction is higher than kinetic friction. The hardest part is the first thirty seconds. Stand up. Move your feet. Speak the words. God parts the water when your feet get wet, not when you pray about it from the safety of the shore. Faith is not a feeling you wait for. It is a movement you initiate.