The best way to make progress in life is one step at a time. The first step can be daunting and the conclusion can feel far out of grasp. But if you will step forward in faith, the results will be far more incredible than you can imagine!
Solomon himself wrote about the end of a thing being better than the beginning. I rather think even the heroes of Bible times experienced the same apprehension that we can feel today. But what we do with that pause is what sets us apart from everyone else. How many times we get back up after we fall, how many times we choose faithfulness over giving up.
One step at a time, one conscious choice after another. Committing to press on when we’d rather throw in the towel. Steadfast till the end, determined in our path.
Choosing Courage
Taking the first step into a daunting task can be intimidating. Unknowns and fears can easily take the wind out of our sails. But instead of reacting and letting these things deflate us, we can choose courage.
For instance, years and years ago I became convinced that I was supposed to step out of my comfort zone and open a retail store (I had been doing online sales previously). Simply mustering the courage to verbalize this goal was an exercise. Not because my family isn’t encouraging or kind, but because it was completely different than what any of us had done. But one step at a time, choosing courage time after time, the end goal came into view!
Courage means different things to different people. Showing up when it’s easier to stay quietly in the background, doing the right thing, following God’s lead, etc. It may take extra courage for you to go into an interview, whereas for me, something similar doesn’t require that level of courage, but something that is second nature to you would require extra courage on my part.
I think that’s why it is important to encourage the people around you. Though we struggle with different particular things, the struggles themselves are similar. We shouldn’t look down on someone struggling in an area that {we think} we ourselves have mastered. But rather, we should take the opportunity to encourage them and help them to their next level of character development.
We all have our own areas. As we take one step at a time on this journey we call life, let’s not only choose courage, but let’s call it out in others!
Gaining Momentum
Not always, but much of the time as we are taking one step at a time, accomplishing projects and pursuing goals, we’ll be going along and then our efforts will snowball. All the time and work we have put in will hit a burst of God’s incredible favor. Instead of just humming along, a burst of abundance will often join the mix. Maybe the project gets completed ahead of schedule. Or perhaps someone randomly shows up to help.
These incredible moments help us gain momentum that we can’t create on our own. One thing I particularly love about them is there is almost no telling when they will happen or what shape they will take. God is a generous God and when we show up wholeheartedly for Him, He shows up in incredible ways for us!
The momentum that built around opening a retail store far surpassed my expectations! So many details and opportunities snowballed into results beyond my hopes and dreams! From the location of the shop, to the fact that my sister stepped into business with me, to the scope of products we carry in store, I couldn’t have made these things come together on my own. God’s blessings are undeniable, awe-inspiring, and so incredibly perfect!
Having A Decided Heart
The decision to be courageous and witnessing the fruits of your faithfulness are put into motion by first having a decided heart. Proverbs talks about one who can’t make up his mind as being unstable in all his ways. It is so important to realize that a decided heart doesn’t begin with having all the answers, but rather knowing the One who does.
God has an important role for each of us to play in life. The sooner we ascertain this vital duty and get in alignment with what God has before us, the better. And I think this is where having a decided heart comes into play. Deciding to follow God’s lead and the path He sets before you. It may not feel glamorous, but I rather think the strongest faith is grown in the little by little, one step at a time.
Sometimes it feels that that is where I am with the shops. Little by little progress, choosing faithfulness, expecting incredible, God-ordained breakthrough. And I see Him in so much of what I walk through. Looking back and seeing how He brings details together is awe-inspiring! I can’t wait to see what is on the other side of this faithfulness!
So let me just encourage you to make the decision to surrender to the path God places before you. Get in agreement with how He leads, choose courage, be faithful, and then step back and notice the million and one ways He works things together! One step at a time.
Until Next Time!
Hope.