“Most people miss an opportunity because it is dressed up in overalls and looks a lot like work.” My great grandmother used to say this to me but I’m pretty sure Thomas Edison said it first. I love this quote because it is such an amazing visual. Too many times we can get caught in the doldrums of life. We get into a rut where we find ourselves asking God, “What do you want me to do?” We say things like, “God hasn’t revealed what my calling is yet” or “I’m not sure what my next step is” or even “I don’t know why I’m struggling." Now, you can agree with me or disagree with me but there is one thing I believe that all these quotes and questions have in common. That is that they are asked by a person who believes they are doing everything right. Now, hold on before you start getting defensive and hear me out. Could this be true unintentionally? Doesn’t “God hasn’t revealed what my calling is yet” have an “I’m doing everything right and God must be late or busy” effect to it? Or doesn’t “I’m not sure what my next step is” sound an awful lot like “Well, I have completed everything required of me so I guess I’ll just wait until I’m needed?” Or lastly, and one of my favorites, is “I don’t know why I’m struggling.” Come on, if we are being honest, that can clearly come from a “Well, I’m doing everything right, so how could I possibly be having troubles” kind of heart.
All of these are good questions when asked with the correct heart. But we’re inclined to approach God with a heart that says “I’m right,” when we already have messed up. I can’t think of a single time when Jesus prayed and approached God with that kind of an attitude. Despite the fact that He was the only human in history who was right and could have! But instead, He chose to humble Himself and approach the Father in humility. These questions are not the problem.
We all too often get caught up in our own wants and desires so that we lose focus on the real mission at hand - following God's Will for us. Now, I’m sure I’m not the only one who has ever thought that my way was best or that everything would work out perfectly if God would just listen to me. "But Scott, I thought it was a good thing to have goals and plans for my future!" Well, this is the difficult part. We want to make plans for the future and use wisdom in planning, but at the same time, we can’t forget the present and what’s currently happening. It’s a balancing act. If you are anything like me, planning can be the easy part. Where I get into trouble is in the execution. Even the best laid plan is a failure if it is never executed. Sometimes we get stuck at the point where we are scared to try something. We immediately start thinking about the negative things, asking questions like “What if it fails?” or “What if I make a fool out of myself?” My question to you is “So what?” So what if you fail?
Thomas Edison was asked “How many times did you try to make the incandescent light bulb?” To which he replied, “One thousand times”. Then he was asked, “How does it feel to fail that many times in a row?” Thomas answered, “My dear sir, I have never failed. I have simply found 1,000 ways how not to make a light bulb.”
We need to take a note from Edison and from some very trustworthy Proverbs:
Proverbs 16:1-3
1 The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit.
3 Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.
I say it to you like this, “Your plans - your struggle, but your commitment to the Lord’s heart cultivates your clarity and effectiveness.” When we seek God's heart first and come to Him with an empty cup, we realize how much we can be filled. But when we come to Him with full cups that cannot be filled, we wonder why we are not receiving or hearing. It is because we are only listening for the things we want. It’s not easy, but it is what we all should strive to do.
Some of you may find yourself in a season like the one that I currently am in. I’m not sure what to do right now. I have a feeling, but I’m not sure. Let me give you the advice that a great man of God once gave me. He said, “When you don’t know what to do, start working hard.” In my youth, I did not understand this, but I trusted this man, so I gave it a try. As the years went on, I found myself going back to him and asking, “What do you think I should do in this situation, sir?” “Work HARD,” he would say. As I grew up, I began to see what he was saying. When we stop trying to look 25 miles down the road (which is impossible to see that far), we can begin to focus on the next 10 feet. When the goal in front of you has your full attention and effort, you would be surprised how quickly it becomes accomplished. Before you know it, you’re moving on to the next step. There have been so many times in my life where I got off course and distracted because I was so far ahead of God that I was missing all the lessons and teachings He was currently doing. Sometimes God will not let you go onto step 35 until you learn to do step 3 properly. When I find myself confused, lost, or not hearing from God, I go back to the step that I knew was right and start working hard by asking God, “What can I learn here? What do You want to teach me in this current season of life? God, what lesson do You have for me here and now?” These prayers have changed my life because they have changed my heart. When we focus on working hard in the now, it takes away the distraction of the “what if” future. We become more effective and definitely more in tune with God.
I pray that you will be able to come to God today with an empty cup and receive a fresh new outpouring of His Spirit, guidance, blessing, and wisdom.
Lord, help us all to humble ourselves before you. To admit that we don’t know it all. That we need to slow down and regroup with you. Lord, I pray that You will meet us right where we are and that You will help us to learn the lessons that You want to teach us today. Help us to be hard workers for the kingdom of God. Amen.
