Chasing Vision – Evaluate and Adjust

I can be stubborn. Some days that is a good thing, but other days being strong-willed can get me into trouble. At the right moments, stubbornness helps me stick with something until completion, allows me to stay confident despite others’ negativity, and gives me the grit to face problems head-on. However, at other times I find myself clinging to a way of thinking that is not helpful. Instead of listening to God or other people, I have concluded I know best. Holding tight to the plan that is in my head, I forge ahead when it is time to switch gears.

We have been looking together at Nehemiah’s story. In chapter four, we get a glimpse into how he navigated significant threats to his leadership. As the scene opens, we see his enemies, Sanballat and Tobiah (among others) calling out insults and building a case against Nehemiah. Despite the antagonism, Nehemiah and the people continue working. This response only leads to an escalation of the threats. Listen to the intensity of these words, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.” (Nehemiah 4:11)

Thankfully, I have never faced death threats. But that doesn’t mean I can’t learn from Nehemiah’s experience. When many would have shut down and given up, Nehemiah evaluated and adjusted. He kept his eye on God’s vision but realized that the implementation of that vision would need to change.

Here is how Nehemiah navigated his challenge – he turned half the men into soldiers. They guarded while the other half of men worked. And even those men who were actively working carried a weapon. Without a doubt, these changes slowed down the process, but they were necessary based on the current situation.

I am learning that I have to be okay switching gears.

As we pursue God’s vision, we have to look at the here and now and make course corrections as necessary. Often what worked before won’t work today. Or what was a best practice previously, can hold us back today.

Over the past two years, I have experienced changes that were not in my plan. The key to that statement is the word my. Even though I didn’t desire a course correction, God knew I needed to make some adjustments. In the process of writing my book, I changed careers. I also changed the overall concept for the book (from workbook study to chapter style) and my plan for publishing. Originally I planned to self-publish but ended up working through Carpenter’s Son Publishing.

The book writing process has helped me grow in flexibility. Stepping out of my comfort zone into an area where I had no expertise, forced me to be open to change. It also put me in a place where I needed advice and input. I had to stubbornly cling to God’s vision, but also make adjustments along the way. Like Nehemiah, I have to be willing to evaluate, adjust, and keep my eyes open to the here and now.

If I am honest, implementing the practice of evaluating and adjusting in book writing is much easier than applying it to my life as a whole. Over and over, I find myself stubbornly clinging to a plan or idea that I feel comfortable with. I see myself looking backward instead of forward. I discover myself showing irritability or anxiety when things change.

Looking at a defined project has helped me learn a life principle. Planning needs to happen in conjunction with reality. Vision grows and develops over time.

Good decisions are grounded in reality. They see both the big picture and the current circumstances. They pay attention to people. They don’t ignore problems.

Sometimes to get where we are going in life, we need to make a course correction. We need to change our method. We need to take advice from others.

Evaluating and adjusting is not a sign of weakness but a sign of wisdom. What do you need to change today?