Taking Initiative
Because of sin we are all hardwired for passivity, especially men. There is a real temptation just to let life happen to you, to wait for opportunities, or to wait for someone to ask you. And the whole time life is just there, waiting. Everything is better in life when we take initiative.
We have to be problem solvers and thinkers. We aren’t used to that because a lot of us grew up with a device strapped to our hand that has the answer to literally everything in it. We know it all now, therefore we know nothing.
You have to ask yourself: What needs to be done? What can I make better? How can I make myself better? Then DO IT. If there is something you’d love to do, then do it. Somewhere you’d love to live? Do it, move there. A cool job you want? Yep, go for it.
Nothing is impossible. Somethings won’t work, but don’t let this be your starting mindset. Start by assuming that there are options.
There is another reality to this: Today matters. It’s really easy for me to think about the future, about “one day.” You know, one day I’ll have this job. One day I’ll be a dad. One day I’ll like brussels sprouts. Whatever it is, I think about the future and sometimes forget to live in the present moment.
I did this a lot when I first started college. I had a plan, I was going to be a double major in chemistry and biology. I set my mind to it and I would make it happen. One day I would capture the dream every little boy has: Being a pharmacist. What I wasn’t focusing on was how much I hated science. Like, just despised it. It’s the worst. Sorry for those of you with biology or chemistry careers, but yuck.
So I came to realize something. The decisions I was making reflected some kind of utopian future. So if you don’t love your today, take initiative and make changes. Don’t assume that a life you aren’t really excited about today is going to lead you to a life that you think is awesome tomorrow. Now, that being said, don’t “give up when it gets hard.” We have already talked about faithfulness.
Many times in scripture people are already doing things when they are called by God to do something for him. Most of the time it is nothing incredible, they are just busy. Elisha was plowing the field when he was called. James and John were preparing to go fishing with their dad when Jesus called them. Paul is a great example of this:
In Acts 13, Paul was worshipping and fasting when God called him out to serve with Barnabas.
In Acts 16, Paul was turned away from several places on his missionary journey, but he kept moving and went elsewhere. Then God called him to go to Macedonia.
In Acts 18, Paul was a tentmaker and God brought him people to speak to for a year and a half.
Paul took initiative and got to work. You can’t just wait around for God to move and tell you EXACTLY what to do. He is already trying to guide you and work through you. Kevin DeYoung says it best:
“Apart from the Spirit working through Scripture, God does not promise to use any other means to guide us, nor should we expect Him to. When we read the Bible we know we are hearing from God…If God opens the door for you to do something you know is good or necessary, be thankful for the opportunity. But other than that, don’t assume that the relative ease or difficulty of a new situation is God’s way of telling you to do one thing or the other. Remember, God’s will for your life is your sanctification, and God tends to use discomfort and trials more than comfort and ease to make us holy.”
Take initiative and make decisions when needed. Make changes. Trust that God will guide your decision making and be with you as you pursue whatever it is; but at the end of the day, decide.