READY, SET, GO

• Posted on Oct 13, 2020

One reason some people never achieve their life’s dream is that they think so long they fail to act. Premeditation is important, but action is more important. Proper preparation and action go hand in hand. Action without proper preparation can result in humiliating failure. Preparation without action will never amount to anything. There’s an old expression that says, “Look before you leap.” But some people look so long they never leap at all.

A few people have been fortunate enough to have every “i” dotted and every “t” crossed before they launched their project, but these are the exceptions rather than the rule. Most people have found that after doing all the planning and prayerful preparation they can, the best experience is on the job training. In other words, the more we try something, the better we get at it.

Some people fail to try because they always second-guess themselves. They’re never quite sure they have it right. You can never be 100% absolutely sure. The most important thing is to get started. You must never be afraid of failure because failure is just another teacher from whom we can learn much if we’re humble enough. The most important thing is to get started.

God had to teach this lesson to the children of Israel as they processed towards the Promised Land. They came to the Red Sea and hesitated. The pursuing Egyptians were behind them, there were mountains on either side of them, and the sea was before them. It appeared that their dream of being a proud selfreliant people had come to an end. They prayed to God and asked what they should do. God’s response to Moses was: “Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to go forward” (Exodus 14:15).

And no matter what our plans; our obstacles; frustrations and so forth, God says to us, “Go forward!” Forward is the direction for the child of God. Standing still is not an option. Going backwards is not an option. Forward is the only way to go! Don’t hesitate. As the old saying goes, “He who hesitates loses.”

Set your sight on your goal. Ready, set, go!