The Next Right Step
“Life can be confusing. Circumstances don’t make sense and, sometimes, it can be difficult to know what to do. Far too often, we get hung up on being perfect or on the notion that there is ONLY ONE way to attain our end goal or reach our destination. Beyond that, there are many times, perhaps more often than not, that we feel we have no idea what exactly where to begin. Even as someone gifted both prophetically and with seeing, I still struggle with this. I tend to see the end result, but usually not the detailed, step-by-step process of getting there. It has taken many years, but I have come to understand and accept that not fully knowing is COMPLETELY normal.
“But I want to be in the will of God. I don’t want to misstep. I can’t afford to ‘miss it.’” I get all of that. God promised us that he would direct our paths; that he would lead us. “What God didn’t say is that he would tell us beforehand nor that he would explain each step of the way. We talk about having faith all the time, but then we turn around and want all the answers and all the steps before we even take the first one. Unfortunately for us, that is not how faith works. If we have all the steps beforehand, we are not operating in faith, but rather in process. Algebra gives us all the steps to solve equations. Baking requires using necessary steps as well. These are both processes and require no faith. Faith starts where our comfort zone ends.
Along with wanting to know the entire roadmap before taking a single step, we have a tendency to also hope that somehow the work will be done for us. God does not set things up this way. We aren’t helpless infants. We are immensely powerful beings, who share a level of Divinity with God. If it is Christ who lives in us, and if it is in Him that we live and move and have our being, then we are one with Him. This means that we are also of a divine nature. God has made us in His likeness and image, meaning that we are co-creators with Him, including in our own personal lives. Buried deep inside us, we KNOW this to be true. As Marianne Williamson said, “our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…” Even reading this, I know for many of you, this strikes a chord. It resonates — largely because you know it to be true on a soul level.
God has given us all the resources in the universe we could ever need. He has given us the power to attain our dreams; we must embrace the fact that WE are the only thing holding us back. While it is true that we may not know every step along the way of our journey, it is also true that we at least have a general idea of what the next right step is. It is very possible that there are multiple options for what the next right step is. My encouragement to you is that you dare to step out and take THAT step, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant it may appear. Doing so is the catalyst for the next step unveiling itself. In essence, none of the other steps matter until we actually take the first step. The beauty of it is that when we do focus on the next right step, we simplify things. At the same time, we also force ourselves to live in the now. NOW is the only time where things happen. Hebrews tells us that “NOW faith is…” Faith is right now. We live and breathe right now. The miraculous happens right now. Today has enough worries without adding to it all the “what if’s” tomorrow may bring.
Start today. No matter how small you feel the next (or first) step is, take it anyway. If your goal is fitness, start with the first workout. If that’s too big, start with the first push-up. Start with the first evening walk. Maybe it’s much bigger. Perhaps you’re feeling called to pursue an advanced degree. Obviously, you can’t get your Master’s or Doctoral degree in one day, but start somewhere. Look up the school(s) you have been feeling drawn to. Fill out the application. A doctoral degree may seem insurmountable and overwhelming when taken all at once, but the feeling is much more manageable looking at just the step of looking up a school and submitting an application. Life is much easier when you simplify to the next step. You move from worrying about a decision ruining the entire outcome to feeling empowered.
My hope for you is that you lighten your burden by reducing everything in life to their simplest form; taking the next right step. Don’t worry about your entire destiny all at once. Instead, find yourself just taking the next right step. Be great in that one step. Do not concern yourself with following any other steps until you’ve completed the present one. Let me encourage you to start off by choosing to be great. The irony is that you’ll discover you already are.
Richest blessings,
Chris Reed
