It's Not In The Details (It's Really Not)

" Begin to weave and God will give you the thread." -German Proverb

The other day I was thinking about some of the reasons why it took me many years to start this business. One of the things that proved to be a major block for me was getting caught up in the details. I thought I had to have everything figured out before I could start to work on making my entrepreneurial dreams a reality.  

What I now know is this is not true. 

What is true?  Getting caught up in the details of trying to figure out the how behind making your God-inspired dream a reality, can stop you before you even get started.

Now details are important; they help move you from point "A" to point "B". The problem comes when we stay stuck on the details trying to figure it ALL out. The details then become the main focus of the dream. One common, false idea held by many people is thinking that everything has to be perfect. We fixate on the finer details convincing ourselves that by having everything "just right" will somehow guarantee success.

The truth of the matter is we will never know for sure how it will all work out. There is no way of knowing and yet we will still spend a lot of time and energy trying to find the guarantees. 

So, what can we do to stop ourselves from getting caught up in the details?

Ask & Act

Ask. When you don't know what to do or where to start, ask God. After all, He is the one who placed the dream in your heart. He is also the only one who knows all the details. God is the how behind your dream. So ask Him to guide your steps, to help you make decisions, and to give you the resources you need. Let Him know that you are afraid or doubtful. Tell him that you are committed to following what He has called you to do and how much you need Him as you go on this journey. God already knows these things, but making the commitment and surrendering, is saying "yes" to your dreams, your purpose, and God.

Act. When God gives you directions, you must follow. Acting on the ideas that God gives to you is moving in faith. It demonstrates that while you don't know how this will all work out, you are going ahead anyway. I am reminded of Abraham, when God basically told him to leave his home, his parents and everything he knew to go to a new land that God would show to him. In this story, I am always struck by how Abraham listened and obeyed. 

The other interesting point in the story is Abraham was not given any details. God did not tell him where he was going or what was going to happen. Abraham was just told to leave. There were no moments of doubt or hesitation on his part. He knew God was calling him to something different. He also knew the importance of responding in obedience. As the story progresses we learn the ways God blessed Abraham for his faithfulness and obedience.

Our faith muscles are exercised and built up every time we move forward despite not knowing the how of our dreams.  Following our dreams includes risk. It requires us to have faith in ourselves and God. Faith helps us to know that in the end things will turn out the way God intended.

When making plans for what you will do to take action, leave lots of room for what God wants to do.  Don't let the details deter you; remember God is the HOW in your dreams. Taking action will make way for the next steps to be revealed because just like Abraham, God will honor our faithfulness and obedience.

So the next time you or someone else asks, " Well, how are you going to do that?" You can simply say, "I don't have all the details yet, but God does."

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Check out this post on how to start journaling. Learn why writing can help you gain clarity.

Read this and be reminded why your dreams are important.

Check out this post for ideas on how to take action.

Drop me an email and let me know your experience with getting caught up in the details. If you like this article please share it.