The next time you’re paralyzed by inaction, ask yourself why. Is it because you don’t know what the next step should be, or how to take the next step? Or is it because you know what to do, but aren’t doing it? Don’t just pray for wisdom. Also pray for strength and courage to take action on doing what you already know you should do.
At least, this is what I’ve found in my own life.
I love acquiring information. Books, podcasts, and YouTube videos are among my favorites. Even this newsletter exists to provide information. But sometimes my quest for more information is simply a sophisticated way of stalling. It’s a form of procrastination.
This doesn’t negate the times in life when you genuinely don’t know what to do. Should you accept a different pastorate? Should you leave ministry and go into secular work? Should you add another service? In these moments, you should pray for wisdom and talk to mentors. There are times when issues are complex and require an extended season of prayer and seeking wise counsel.
And of course, there are other situations when you know what to do, but you don’t know how to do it. I can think of the projects in my home that I need to work on but I’m doing nothing about it because I’m not good at fixing things. I have a vision of what my house will look like but don’t know how to make that vision a reality.
There are times in life and ministry when you don’t know what to do, or you don’t know how to do something. But in truth, most of life does not require more information or a new set of skills. In more cases than not, we know the next step, but something stops us from taking it. Usually, it’s fear, perfectionism, or procrastination. It’s like a mysterious force prevents us from moving.
Consider, for example, the idea of fat loss. You lose fat by eating fewer calories than you consume, referred to in the nutrition world as a “calorie deficit.”
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