‘…The prudent [wise] considers well his steps.’ Proverbs 14:15 NKJV

After you’ve prayed, planned and prepared, there comes a point where you’ve got to take the plunge. Is it scary? Absolutely! There are two kinds of people: Those who leap before they look; they are driven by impulse. Then there are those who look, and look, and look but never leap; they are controlled by fear. Which are you? To get to the Promised Land, Israel had to cross the River Jordan at flood tide. It must have made the strongest heart skip a beat. God had promised that when the feet of the priests carrying the ark stepped into the water it would roll back. Can you imagine their thoughts? ‘Couldn’t we wait till the tide goes down? Why do I have to go first? What if the waters don’t roll back and I drown?’ 

The step between prudence and paranoia is short and steep. Prudence wears a seatbelt; paranoia avoids cars altogether. Prudence washes with soap; paranoia avoids human contact altogether. Prudence saves for old age; paranoia clings to every penny. Prudence prepares and plans; paranoia panics. Prudence calculates the risk and takes the plunge; paranoia never enters the water. To reach your God-ordained destiny you must stop holding back, obey God and step into the water. The moment you do, doors will begin to open and resources will be released, where there now seems to be only shortage. God will provide the means, the method, and the manpower. So stand on His promise: ‘…I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you…’ (Isaiah 43:4-5 NKJV).

‘…He knew what was in a man.’ John 2:25 NIV

Jesus saw the best in people and worked to bring it out. But He wasn’t naïve; He understood human frailty. When people disappointed Him, He didn’t retaliate in anger, or distance from them. What did He do? ‘…Many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man’ (vv. 23-25 NIV). Jesus constantly called people to a higher standard, but He understood that their best would still be imperfect. And you need to understand that about your loved ones too, and handle them accordingly. The perfect relationship, the perfect job, the perfect church and the perfect neighbourhood don’t exist!

God knows that, so He gave us instructions on how to deal with people who disappoint us: ‘Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfil and observe… the law of Christ…’ (Galatians 6:2 AMP). You say, ‘What is the law of Christ?’ Jesus said, ‘I give you a new commandment…Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another’ (John 13:34 AMP). To love as Jesus loved, you must love without condition and without pressure. It’s easier to talk about how to treat the irritating people in your life than it is to do it. But the Lord never commands you to do something that He won’t give you the grace to carry out. And the great thing is, in the process of carrying it out you become more like Him.

‘The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.’ Proverbs 13:4 NIV

The word ‘diligence’ includes such qualities as hard work, honesty, persistence, and striving for excellence. The New Living Bible Translation puts it this way: ‘Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.’ One expert says, ‘Success doesn’t come from being a hundred percent better than your competition, but from being one percent better in a hundred different ways.’ Syndicated business columnist Dale Dauten says: ‘If you want to be creative in your company, your career or your life, it all comes down to one easy step…the extra one. When you encounter a familiar plan, you just ask one question: “What else could we do?’’’ To succeed you’ll have to do more—more than you may want, more than your competition, more than you think you’re capable of. 

The poet William Arthur Ward said: ‘I will do more than belong—I will participate. I will do more than care—I will help. I will do more than believe—I will practice. I will do more than be fair—I will be kind. I will do more than forgive—I will forget. I will do more than dream—I will work. I will do more than teach—I will inspire. I will do more than learn—I will enrich. I will do more than give—I will serve. I will do more than live—I will grow. I will do more than suffer—I will triumph.’ You can’t do whatever’s easiest and still reach your goal. You must do more. You must do ‘whatever it takes.’

‘…I try to find common ground...’ 1 Corinthians 9:22 NLT

Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy. To win someone over, you must first do two things: a) understand them; b) become comfortable with diversity. Paul wrote, ‘…So I can bring them to Christ…I try to find common ground with everyone…’ (vv. 21-22 NLT). Paul wouldn’t yield an inch when it came to the truth, but his strategy was always one of love. Whether he was speaking to Jews, Greeks, Romans or barbarians his message never varied. But his approach did. When people know you respect them you’re more effective at helping them to change. Speaking to those who were willing to alienate someone over a fine point of theology, 

Paul writes, ‘In Christ’s family…you are all equal…in a common relationship with Jesus…’ (Galatians 3:28 TM). Just think, when the saints of the ages gather round God’s throne to praise Him they will not only be from different continents and cultures, but different eras—the early church age and the space age. What a concert! But you won’t enjoy it if you’re so narrow that you only know one song, because they may not be singing that particular number over there. Some of God’s choicest characters were culturally diverse, like Moses, an Israelite raised in an Egyptian household to prepare him for his destiny. Or Peter, who was prejudiced enough to think that God only blessed Jews until God set him straight saying, ‘If I say someone’s acceptable, don’t you say they’re not’ (Acts 10:15 paraphrased). Evidently Peter got the message, for he wrote later, ‘Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth…love one another deeply…’ (1Peter 1:22 NIV). So, learn to be tactful.