Chasing Vision – Work Hard

The Bible has a lot to say about waiting on God. I have learned over time that waiting on God does not mean standing back, sitting on our hands, or removing ourselves from the equation. Waiting on God is a position of rest and trust. It is an acknowledgment that God is in control, and we are dependent on Him. It also means that we understand our lack and shortcomings do not limit God or stop Him from working.

In my confusion over rest, I fell into the trap of laziness. I thought that if I prayed enough, then God would make things happen. Now, there are certainly times that God does that. When we pray and experience an immediate and powerful breakthrough. But there are other times that God chooses to work through the steps we take. He shapes us as we move forward. He forms our vision and direction as we walk by faith.

Over the past two years in the process of writing Finding Simplicity, God has reminded me that He wants me to work hard, not to look for handouts. As I am sure you are all aware, a book does not write itself. Merely putting thousands of words in a document does not constitute a completed work. The need to work hard is not only true of writing a book; it is true of any vision, goal, or plan that we have. While most of us would love just to dream and think about something and have it form before our very eyes, rarely is this how life works.

I learned that writing a book requires organization, planning, and consistency. I also learned that I had to figure out a rhythm that worked for me, and that might look different than it does for other people. I am speaking from my experience, but consider what this same principle looks like in your context.

Early in the writing process, I read from multiple sources that writers should set daily word goals – somewhere around 500 or more a day. I tried this for many months. Even when I set aside the first part of the day, I couldn’t seem to get into a rhythm. After trying different methods and workflows, I discovered that setting aside two blocks of three to four hours a week worked best for me. Almost every Monday and Saturday morning, you would find me a local coffee shop, earbuds in, writing or editing. I discovered that I am most focused when I have long blocks of time and get away from my home.

Let’s look for a minute at our friend Nehemiah. If you read chapter three of his story, you may get a little bored (most of the time, I skim through this section). Here you find a detailed list of who was doing what job and where they were located in the scope of the city layout. From these records, we know that when it was time to begin building, Nehemiah didn’t just look at everyone and say, go for it. He strategically placed people and he organized each person to use their skills.

God is a God of order.

He designed us to work and to work hard.

Walking by faith does not mean sitting on your hands.

Again, think about your vision. What disciplines do you need to put in place? Many wise leaders have said, “what gets scheduled gets done.” I know from personal experience, what I don’t plan and prioritize typically does not happen. Instead, it remains on a wish list that I may or may not get to one of these days.

If you want to see a vision unfold, you have to be intentional.

Choose to be disciplined.

Schedule your time.

Prioritize.

And look with expectation for God to work!