1 Chronicles 28:20
Sometimes you hit a roadblock. Maybe several. And they all seem to say, ‘Stop‘. You’re doing it all wrong. You don’t have what it takes. You’re not enough.
Such obstacles are part of doing business. They can mean many different things.
They can mean that you’re absolutely going in the wrong direction OR they can mean that you’re simply ahead of your time. The world simply isn’t ready for what you have to offer.
So, how do you know the difference?
Well, here’s a mantra that I live by: God makes the promise. I do the work.
What I mean by this is that I first discern what God is calling me to do in my business. If you don’t have a spiritual tradition as I do, that might mean that you lean into your purpose before venturing out in a new direction.
Either way, any new projects or initiatives must be in direct alignment with your calling or purpose.
Once I’ve made certain of this alignment (and I don’t always get it right), I do everything I possibly can to make that project or initiative work. If it doesn’t work for some reason, I wait. I listen. I pray. I ask for greater discernment.
In other words, I do the work on several levels until the path is made clear.
I also try hard to remember that nothing is wasted because on the other side of every roadblock is a new path.
The promise lies in the fact that God will show favor on our work and on our lives as long as we stay focused on what we’ve been called to do. Favor doesn’t mean the outcomes miraculously rise up out of some heavenly thin air. What it does mean is that all things come together for the greater good when we’re in alignment with God and our calling.
Simple but not easy given the many distractions we face each day.
Focus on the obstacle, and you’ll be so paralyzed by fear and failure that you’ll miss the learning opportunity and what lies beyond.
The challenge is to be strong and courageous enough to do the work—in spite of how we’re feeling—so that the path, in whatever form it takes, is revealed.
Oh, and lots of prayers along the way.
Question of the Week:
What does “doing the work” mean to you?