I like lists. Even when I was a kid, I had lists of everything. I even had a list of all my lists. Now it is much easier. I have a single spreadsheet with all of my lists in different tabs. I like to plan things and lists are a big part of my planning process. I spend a lot of time looking over my lists and prioritizing them and planning the next thing. But at some point, someone has to do some work or nothing will ever get done.
I’ve spent a lot of time the last couple of months looking over a few specific lists and working on some goals for my life, my family, this blog, and some other things. I’ve peen praying about these things a lot. As I was working through this, the thought came to me to “just do something”. Stop over planning and trying to get everything just right before I start and just do something. I’m going to make mistakes. Even with the best planning I’m going to make mistakes. All the planning in the world is pointless if I don’t do anything with it.
Experience is the best teacher. I can plan and make lists for everything, but until I do something, I’ll never know if it works or not. I think sometimes we get a lot of decisions made by people who plan a lot, but don’t do anything. In theory, these ideas should work. We sit back and tell everyone else what they should be doing and how to do it. Often times, the reality is that it simply doesn’t work that well. The only way to get the experience and to know if it will work is to just do something.
I hear a lot of talk and have read a lot of articles about what it takes to grow a church. There are all kinds of ideas and theories. But the reality is that we just need to do something. It really doesn’t matter what we do, as long as we are truly seeking God and following Biblical principles. Our job is simply to “spread the seeds” and to build relationships. It is God that softens the hearts and causes those seeds to grow.
Don’t be overly concerned about the results. Yes, to be productive you do have to keep your eye on the results. You can identify what is working well by the results you are getting. But too often we are so focused on the results that we become paralyzed in our efforts. We set up metrics for tracking everything. We study all the latest trends and try to copy what others are doing in hopes of getting the same results. Trust in God. Focus on the activity and doing what God has called you to do and let God take care of the results. Maybe our efforts are far more productive than we will ever see.
So what are you waiting for? It’s time to pick something on that to do list, unfinished projects list, or your bucket list and just do something.
6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
1 Corinthians 3:6-9
