The other day I had a conversation with someone who has big plans. It's always fun to talk with people who plan to do big things. They inspire me. But during the conversation, it became clear that there were some key pieces missing from the configuration of those plans. Moreover, to acquire these pieces, our visionary would have to take a step down the career ladder and get his hands dirty to acquire the information and skills he currently lacks, if he intends to properly position himself for success.
I saw that the idea didn't really appeal to him, and indeed without the certainty of really wanting to pursue these major projects, it would be a real step backward. One thing I was sure of was that many wouldn't understand, and he would certainly face criticism from those who were looking from the outside and who didn't know his destination and the reasons for this choice. For them it would be a dead end and at best a useless detour. And they could have been right, except that... there is indeed a destination.
And the question naturally arises as to how much he really cares about these projects. To what extent should I be personally involved? I will soon find out. I am waiting to see what he does. Because it will not happen by itself. And the path will not be all smooth sailing. But that is life on earth. The end is good, but the path that leads us there is not always easy; instead of a highway, we find ourselves on a winding country road that at first seems to take us away from the destination before getting us there.
But taking this path is a choice. Do we take it, or do we wait for God to bring the destination closer to us? Every year, many start the year with great optimism; many believers receive a plethora of prophetic words concerning all the great things that God will bring into existence for us in 20……. (what does it matter?); they are convinced that this is 'my' year, the year when 'things will finally move'. In the middle of the year something curious happens, when we ask how things are progressing, well, the answer is evasive, indistinct, or sometimes it is the usual well-used 'by faith'. And at the end of the year, well, you can imagine.
But experience shows us that not everything depends on God. Of course, in absolute terms, everything depends on God. But he has his role to play and we have ours. And it is a choice we must make. At the same time as we receive his many exhilarating prophecies, decide to do what is necessary, everything that is incumbent on me to bring them into existence. The project and the word have a destination; to get there there is a path to take, choices to make that risk plunging our hands into the grease; they will not look clean and fragrant for a short time, but it is essential if I want to be able to declare at the end of the year that it is done, I am at the destination.
The good, the beautiful, the wonderful, the promise, the blessing, the divine projects often come coated in mud and we have to get our hands dirty to remove it, and discover the treasure. My challenge for you this year is not to be content with building these beautiful projects, to pray for their accomplishment, but to throw yourself into the arena carried by the promise, to get your hands dirty if necessary and bring out the treasure. If it means making decisions that are illogical in the eyes of men to acquire the missing pieces to realize the dream, so be it. It won't happen alone, but it will happen if you decide to do it.
