When indicating that it’s possible to get stuck in preparations, we’re suggesting that some churches and ministries can get so caught up in getting things right, that they spend most of their time perfecting rather than progressing. Excellence becomes their primary goal.
The Problem with Being Stuck in Preparations
Scripture exhorts us to do our best to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17) but we also have the example of making sure we “press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of” us (Phil. 3:12). The Christian life here on earth is a journey, not a destination. It’s a process, not a product.
If we must perfect everything we do before moving forward, we may rarely get beyond preparations. Let’s be real: If this is our primary ambition and goal, what we do may never be good enough. We’ll tend to keep finding more to fix or add to it to make it better. Rather than perfecting something we’ve been doing, God may want to do something new.
What It Takes to Get Unstuck
We may need an adjustment in how we think about the Christian life and ministry. That could take humbling ourselves to admit we haven’t arrived (Phil. 3:12). Part of getting caught up in preparations is trying to make a good impression. We somehow think we must have it all together to make an impact.
It could also take challenging ourselves to move on rather than wade in the desperation of having the brightest and best of everything. We don’t have to wait until we can afford to renovate to invite people into our church. Nor do we have to spend countless hours crafting just the right words to speak. The power to make a difference doesn’t rest in perfecting all we do. Rather, the Holy Spirit works in and through us to accomplish God’s work. The Spirit doesn’t need the perfect building, an eloquent preacher, top of the line technology, etc. to make a difference. Let’s walk in the Spirit so we don’t get stuck in making it about our own endeavors.