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- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 18,404
Take the initiative (2)
'Act with courage, and may the Lord be with those who do well.' 2 CHRONICLES 19:11
So you thought Moses was the only one who crossed through waters without getting so much as a little toe wet, did you? Crack open your Bible to Joshua 3. One of the last obstacles between Israel and the Promised Land was the River Jordan. But God had a plan. He told the priests carrying the Ark that when they stepped in the river, the waters would roll back. Let's talk 'initiative' again:
1) Nothing happens until you quit holding back! You can't wait for everything to be perfect. You can't wait until your butterflies go. You must take the initiative. Sometimes, it's only when we step out and move forward that things become clearer. Actually, many problems tend to take care of themselves once we have started to go with the flow
2) You've got to keep at it. The Jordan River didn't dry up the moment the priests stepped into it. God dried it up 26 miles upstream, so they had to wait till all that water passed by (Joshua 3:14-17). Why did God do it that way? Because He sees the big picture. God planned an opening wide enough for not just one or two people, but for a whole nation (more than a million people) to cross. Is there an obstacle between you and your Promised Land? Trust God, quit holding back, and keep at it!
Take the initiative (3)
'Do not be afraid...The Lord...is going before you.' DEUTERONOMY 1:29-30
Two blooming well obvious things about initiative, and well you know it!
1) Just do it. Do you suffer from the 'six weeks holidays' syndrome? Remember, when your Maths teacher set you homework to do over the holidays, and week one you stayed in bed 'til dinner, week two you played on the PS3, week four and five were a bit of a blur, week 6... well, its your last week, you may as well enjoy it whilst it lasts! In fact, you let it slide and slide, and now here you are Sunday night before you go back with unfinished homework. Is that you? Does that attitude follow you whatever you do in life? The best way to get rid of something you don't like doing is; to do it! Take the initiative.
2) You've got to turn the engine on. People who take their driving test and give it their best shot may succeed, or fail. People who don't bother to turn the engine on, just fail. It ain't quantum physics this 'initiative' stuff; anyone who doesn't take initiative is guaranteed to fail! Solomon writes, 'If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done' (Ecclesiastes 11:4 TLB). It's better to be 80% sure, and start, than to wait until you're 100% sure, because by then the opportunity may have passed you by. Now, what are you waiting for?
written by Bob Gass
'Act with courage, and may the Lord be with those who do well.' 2 CHRONICLES 19:11
So you thought Moses was the only one who crossed through waters without getting so much as a little toe wet, did you? Crack open your Bible to Joshua 3. One of the last obstacles between Israel and the Promised Land was the River Jordan. But God had a plan. He told the priests carrying the Ark that when they stepped in the river, the waters would roll back. Let's talk 'initiative' again:
1) Nothing happens until you quit holding back! You can't wait for everything to be perfect. You can't wait until your butterflies go. You must take the initiative. Sometimes, it's only when we step out and move forward that things become clearer. Actually, many problems tend to take care of themselves once we have started to go with the flow
2) You've got to keep at it. The Jordan River didn't dry up the moment the priests stepped into it. God dried it up 26 miles upstream, so they had to wait till all that water passed by (Joshua 3:14-17). Why did God do it that way? Because He sees the big picture. God planned an opening wide enough for not just one or two people, but for a whole nation (more than a million people) to cross. Is there an obstacle between you and your Promised Land? Trust God, quit holding back, and keep at it!
Take the initiative (3)
'Do not be afraid...The Lord...is going before you.' DEUTERONOMY 1:29-30
Two blooming well obvious things about initiative, and well you know it!
1) Just do it. Do you suffer from the 'six weeks holidays' syndrome? Remember, when your Maths teacher set you homework to do over the holidays, and week one you stayed in bed 'til dinner, week two you played on the PS3, week four and five were a bit of a blur, week 6... well, its your last week, you may as well enjoy it whilst it lasts! In fact, you let it slide and slide, and now here you are Sunday night before you go back with unfinished homework. Is that you? Does that attitude follow you whatever you do in life? The best way to get rid of something you don't like doing is; to do it! Take the initiative.
2) You've got to turn the engine on. People who take their driving test and give it their best shot may succeed, or fail. People who don't bother to turn the engine on, just fail. It ain't quantum physics this 'initiative' stuff; anyone who doesn't take initiative is guaranteed to fail! Solomon writes, 'If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done' (Ecclesiastes 11:4 TLB). It's better to be 80% sure, and start, than to wait until you're 100% sure, because by then the opportunity may have passed you by. Now, what are you waiting for?
written by Bob Gass
