Step by step

I actually got some cleaning done yesterday. The first step was to see why the vacuum cleaner wasn't sucking. There was a gigantic fur ball, but the core of that was this balled up napkin. I am sparing you that picture. It was gross. The vacuum cleaner got stuck because it tried to suck up something too big to handle.

Have you ever gotten stuck? I have. I notice when I get stuck, it is because I try to take on something much bigger than I can handle. I keep forgetting that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

God never gives us anything we cannot handle. I have always been convinced of this. But, he also never wanted us to do it all at once in a single leap. I forget that often. When I set a goal, or am faced with a challenge, I always want to get it done right away or not at all. That is not how God intended.

In the Old Testament, great reading if you ever get the chance, God promises the Jews the land of milk and honey. The land he promised is not conquered in one day, not even in one generation. They wanted to take it all at once, but God did not let them. If they didn't have to fight for the land, they would not appreciate it. Still, they didn't always listen to God, and that lead to them eventually losing the land. They were exiled from what was promised to them.

When I try to do things my way, and take it all on at once, I get thrown off! I bet you do too. What God wants us to do is listen to him, and take on our challenges little by little, step by step. You don't just walk into a gym and magically have six-pack abs! You have to keep coming back, and keep working out. You can't spend all day there either, you will end up unable to move for days upon days or seriously injuring yourself. God wants us to be his partner, and to do things step by step.

Its hard to have this patience in our day and age. Tivo lets you pull up a show when you want it, pause it, and fast forward through the programming. Real life means you deal with it when it happens, and there is no fast forwarding through commercial breaks.

You can deal with this when you have a relationship with God. Leaning on Him helps me to get through the challenges. The word "wait" is found in the NIV Bible 135 times, and in the NLT 159 times. Waiting is a part of what God intended us to do. So what do we do while we wait? Take it step by step.

Romans 8:25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently

Romans 15:4 And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

Hebrews 9:28 so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

2 Peter 3:14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

A wise man named Tom Petty once said "the waiting is the hardest part." Do your best to make the most of it, don't get anxious and jump ahead of yourself.