When You Aren't Sure of God's DirectionSample

PREPARATION TIME  

Even though we’re often in a hurry when it comes to walking out God’s plan, preparation time is never wasted time. It’s vital to be well-prepared before you step into something new. 

If you’re not, you may have to stop, backtrack and get prepared. Or you might have to scramble and make up for a lack of preparation while you’re on the fly. Worse yet, sometimes if you’re not prepared, you simply fail because you weren’t equipped well enough. 

I did that once. I volunteered to referee a basketball game during a marathon. I thought because I’d watched a lot of basketball that I knew a lot about refereeing. Let’s just say….I didn’t have the skills. Almost immediately, I missed a lot of fouls and had to be replaced (with the players practically booing me out of the gym). I should have been better equipped. 

One thing I’ve learned is that things almost always take longer than we think they should. Sometimes you will get a glimpse of what God has called you to do or be or He’ll talk with you about the things He has in store. Those things might happen right away or they might not. It’s not really up to us to make them happen according to our time table. It’s just up to us to be ready. 

One minister said it this way: “Sharpen your ax!” If you’re going out to chop wood with a dull ax, it will take much longer and you will put in a lot more effort than you need to. It’s very inefficient to chop wood with a dull ax. But if your ax is sharpened before you go out, you’ll get your chopping done quicker, easier, and with less effort. That’s what preparation time is. Sharpening your ax! 

If you’re in a season of preparation, do it with all your heart. Do you need more schooling? More practice getting along or submitting to others? More experience in your field? Sharpen your ax! Don’t fight God’s timing. Trust Him. Do what He’s set before you, and keep your joy. It’s far better to move too slowly than too quickly and find yourself in trouble. 

Has this plan been helpful to you? It’s an excerpt from my book “How to Make the Right Decision Every Time: 10 Keys for Finding God’s Direction.” You can read the first part here.