Start!

There are a thousand reasons why I can’t start. It makes no sense. It is too risky, too much is at stake. I don’t have it in me. It doesn’t really matter. Who do I think I am?

These are the thoughts that litter my mind when I consider starting.

But, the truth is simple, yet impactful.

All great endeavors or movements or plans or businesses or ministries or churches or life changes have a starting point. Behind any of these actions, there is starting point, a person with the faith, the belief, the passion, the gumption to take the step.

While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the for work for which I have called them.” Acts 13:2

The verse above set off an explosion of travel and ministry, taking the message of Jesus to the world. Saul (Paul) visited 50 plus cities after this verse. A movement began.

How did the Holy Spirit speak? Was He audible? How did Paul and Barnabas know for sure that the Holy Spirit was leading? Awesome questions to consider, but ponder too much on these great questions and one misses the point. Paul acted.

The questions above, asked personally about something in your life, and they have the potential of quenching flames, stopping potentially great starts. The tendency is to think about it, pray about it, sit on it, and pause. The tendency is to wait until the timing is “right,” the vision crystal clear, and the world makes sense. The pause never stops. The start never comes.

The Bible is not a passive book. One doesn’t read Scripture and see the passiveness of people. Instead, one reads and sees action, active participants in the will of God. Consider these individuals:

• Abraham – he took a step, moving his family to a foreign land, experiencing a faithful God like no other.
• Moses – he started a movement that brought millions out of slavery seeing God move in amazing ways.
• Noah – he built an ark prior to the rain, as he was being mocked and ridiculed, finding God to be true to His Word.
• Mary – as a teenager, she took the step of faith, believing that God granted her favor.
• Peter – he left the family business, all he knew, taking a step to join the ministry of Jesus.

Hebrews 11 is often called “the faith hall of fame.” The chapter mentions seventeen starters, seventeen people, that started. How did they start? Each and every action is preceded by the words “by faith.”

The Bible is full of starters. People that took a step of faith to start. People that found the energy, the passion, the gumption, the willingness, the belief to take the step.

And, things changed.

Two start quenchers.

Waiting for the perfect time.

“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There was no waiting for the perfect time for those starters in the Bible. If they would have waited until the stars aligned and things seemed perfect, there would have been no movement.

Planning to perfection.

Planning is wise, but perfect planning stops the starting.

“Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.” James‬ ‭4:13-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Life is described as morning fog, only lasting a little while. Start today. Submit to God’s will. Let faith be the energy that propels the start.

As you read this, there is no doubt something that God wants you to uniquely start. Maybe the start is about a person, a friend, a family member. Maybe the start is about personal growth, a life change, reading His Word. Maybe the start is a ministry, a mission, a business, a direction, an attitude. The starts that God calls us too are unlimited. But, there is no doubt that there is a start uniquely made for you. A start waiting on you.

As Paul told Timothy, “fan the flame that is in you.”

Start!

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