Sometimes with my online business I feel like I’m on a bicycle pedaling as fast as I can, but I’m only moving forward a few inches at time. The bicycle doesn’t seem to move any faster, even if I pedal harder. Have you ever felt this way about anything? If so, you know it’s easy to want to give up. You question why you’re continuing to work so hard when there is little reward.
For part-time bloggers, like myself, you spend time writing and working on your blog late a night (after a day of work and family time) and squeeze in as much as you can. You realize you’ve stayed up way too late and you suffer the consequences of being extremely tired the next day. But the next night you do it again because you’re passionate about what you do, the message behind your work and the drive to have a successful online business.
I downloaded all of this to my wife the other night. As I was sharing this with her and really questioning why I push on, but I remembered that I have an important message to share about helping people prove faithful with money, a job or career and perhaps a business, that God has entrusted into their care. I also almost immediately realized that I’ve been operating on my timing and not God’s timing.
Oddly enough (or not), I turned to my Men’s devotion the same evening, and the devotion was entitled, “Hurry Up and Wait on God.” My wife reminded me that as a Christian, the spirit was really speaking to me about the frustration I was experiencing with my online business and tell me what I needed to do! The scripture shared in the devotion was Micah 7:7 -
As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.
The devotion said men don’t like to wait. I agree! I like to do things my way in my own timing. I like to pedal as fast as I can and get bigger and bigger results, the faster that I pedal. Obviously, the problem with this approach is that it’s all about me and my goals. I realized that I will continue to pedal faster, burn myself out and miss what God is trying to do with this blog and teach me with my online business. It’s a control issue!
I love this devotion, “Hurry Up and Wait on God”. It don’t think it means that I should cease to work hard, or not be passionate about what my work. God still expects me to work hard and do my part, but I don’t think it’s His desire for me to over work myself, sacrifice important relationships with family and friends, or not take care of my health to make this business grow in what would be my timing. No, God requires me to be steady and faithful in my work and to trust Him in taking care of the rest.
My wife, who is much wiser than I, told me that I should get back to a blogging schedule. I should devote a certain amount of time per day to working on it. Once that time is up, I should leave it alone and trust God with the rest. This takes great discipline to stop working on something you’re passionate about. It takes faith, and it’s what Micah had when he waited on God to save Him and Israel.
I think that’s the type of faith we have to have whether it be an online business, career or in personal finance. Yes, we should work steady and consistently, but we can’t control the outcome of every circumstance. I can do a lot work to grow my career, but I honestly can’t control whether or not I’m promoted. I can do a lot of work to save money, but I can’t control an emergency from occurring that would require me to use all the savings to pay for it. God hears us and will bring us through challenging times, in his own timing that will be best for us.
When have you been challenged to hurry up and wait on God?
About Jason Price