Familiarity is the silent killer of vision.

The longer you’re in it, the less you see it.

Author

Brett Esslinger
October 21, 2025

In partnership with

There’s a leadership law that quietly destroys churches, teams, and organizations—not through scandal or crisis, but through slow, silent erosion. John Maxwell calls it “the law of familiarity.” Over time, what once amazed us becomes normal. What once inspired us becomes routine. What once demanded excellence now merely receives effort.

The longer you’re in something, the easier it is to stop seeing it clearly. As the saying goes, “Time in erodes awareness of.”

It happens in marriages, ministries, and leadership all the time. We stop noticing what once moved us. We stop appreciating what once brought us joy. We start coasting on yesterday’s clarity.

Jesus warned about this in Revelation 2:4–5 (NLT):

“You don’t love Me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to Me and do the works you did at first.”

The church in Ephesus didn’t lose truth—they lost awareness. They still believed, but they forgot the wonder. They were still in it, but not alive in it.

Patrick Lencioni once said, “The biggest danger for successful organizations isn’t failure—it’s comfort.” Comfort dulls our senses. It makes us assume health where there may be drift. It tells us, “Things are fine,” when in reality, the culture is coasting, the mission is fuzzy, and the energy is fading.

Dr. Dave Martin teaches, “What you tolerate, you’ll eventually create.” That’s the real danger of time. You start to tolerate what you would have once corrected. You get used to dysfunction. You accept mediocrity. You stop inspecting what you expect.

This isn’t about paranoia—it’s about stewardship. Great leaders regularly reawaken their awareness. They step back to see the full picture again. They ask honest questions like:

  • What have I stopped noticing?

  • What am I assuming is fine just because it’s familiar?

  • Where have we lost passion, clarity, or urgency?

You can’t lead from a memory of what used to be. You have to encounter God fresh in every season.

Romans 12:11 (NLT) says,

“Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”

Enthusiasm isn’t a personality trait—it’s a spiritual discipline. It’s how you fight erosion. When your time in grows, your intentionality must grow with it.

Here’s a simple leadership rhythm: every 90 days, step back and ask God to show you what you’ve stopped seeing. Review the culture, the systems, and your own soul. Repent of any complacency. Reignite the fire.

John Maxwell puts it this way: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and you can’t improve what you don’t notice.” Awareness is leadership oxygen. Lose it, and everything suffocates—slowly.

So today, take a walk through your ministry, your home, your heart. See it again. Feel it again. Thank God for it again.

Because the moment you stop being aware of it, you start losing it.

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