DON’T SKIP THE STEPS

Kelly and I weren’t quite married a year. She graduated from college. We loaded up everything we owned and moved from Tennessee to Chicago…a long way from home. We were starting a church.

We had $500 in our pocket and our first month’s rent paid. No jobs yet. We were living across the street from the blue line. We could go anywhere in the city on that train.

The number of destinations and possibilities wasn’t the problem. The next step was the problem.

I knew where I wanted to go big picture, what I wanted for my next level. But, my next step wasn’t big picture. My next step was my 2nd month’s rent.

So, Kelly got a job that day at a childcare. I got a job that day at TGIFriday’s. I’d waited tables all through college…didn’t necessarily want to do it at that moment. But, we needed quick money and those were both of our next steps.

Neither of us stayed in our places too long. But, we were thankful for that next step while we were in that particular moment.

Next steps are powerful.

Places of development, provision, learning, survival, growth, maturing, faithfulness. Too often, we don’t get to live in our big picture or on our next level because we won’t take our next steps.

What is our next step? Our next step is the next right thing to move forward or move up. If you want to move up a level, you have to take your next step.

It’s necessary.

It’s honorable.

It’s right.

Don’t skip the steps relationally, spiritually, professionally. Take them, whatever they are. You‘ll likely make a relationship, find compassion, tenacity, worth, wisdom, strength in the steps. They’re good.

Everyone wants next level. Few people want the steps. Take them. There’s no next level without the steps.