Three Stages of Everything and How to Succeed in Them – Part Two

Missed the first post?

 Check it out here:  Three Stages of Everything and How to Succeed In Them – Part One

Last time we looked at the first two stages of everything: the romantic “I’ve been swept off my feet” stage of an idea, and then the subsequent I-didn’t-realize-this-was-going-to-be-this-hard “gut it out” stage.

We’re going to focus on the “gut it out” stage in this one. My pastor calls this the “40 yard lines of life,” and it’s safe to say we’ve all been there. When you feel like quitting, God has provided some wonderful principles for us in His book that can help us keep going!

Gut It Out: The Second of the Three Stages.

What to do when you’re here:

1. Keep your actions right. You may struggle to keep your heart and mind right, but keep your actions right. Marriage? Men – you’re commanded to love her and not get bitter (Col. 3:9). That’s not conditional upon anything she does or what you perceive that she deserves. Keep your actions right! This is so vital because there’s a connection between our actions and our hearts. The Bible tells us that if we keep our works right, our hearts will follow (Proverbs 16:3, Luke 12:34).

2. Come apart lest ye come apart. In Mark 6:31 Jesus told his disciples to take a break and get some rest. This is so important, especially in marriage and family. When it comes to marriage and family, I believe you can bounce yourself back into phase 1 if you work hard to make it happen. There must be time for fun and recreation or the grind of life will tear you apart. Schedule time for fun. Speaking of scheduling…

3. Schedule, schedule, schedule. In I Corinthians 14:40 we’re told to “Let all things be done decently and in order.” The #1 reason I see that people don’t finish their book or “on the side project” is because they don’t set aside a time every week/month to do it. It won’t do itself! For me, I have to sit down in front of the computer every week at a specific time and write (and here’s the key) whether I feel like it or not. I never feel like it when I start, but sometimes I get that romantic spark of creativity when I force myself to start working.

4. Keep your vision right. The Bible teaches us that without a vision people perish (Proverbs 29:18), and that is the diligent man that keeps his vision correct but the hasty man focuses on the negative (Proverbs 21:5). Understand that you are in the diligence/gut it out stage, but don’t focus on that. Focus on today, and let tomorrow take care of itself (Matthew 6:34). You’ve probably been here before: “Grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

5. Ask for help. Ask the Lord for help (I John 5:14-15) and ask your friends for help (Galatians 6:2). We’re Christians; helping each other is what we’re supposed to do! It is the “law of Christ” to bear each other’s burdens! We all need encouragement from time to time. It takes diligence to get through this step. If you lack diligence, it’s like any character trait: it can be learned if you want to learn it. If you weren’t taught it as a child, then have someone help you learn it. Get an accountability partner to help you and then set a lofty but attainable goal. Work those determination muscles!

3) Fruition. You did it! You managed to pay off all your debts and retire! You weathered the storms of church/mission field/marriage! You wrote that book or made that music CD! You lost all that weight! You made your sales goal! You finished a triathlon!

Whatever it was, you managed to do it. Take a breath.

Fruition: The Third of the Three Stages

What to do when you’re here:

1. Be humble and give God the glory. After all, anything good about you came from Him (James 1:17). I think the reason God lets us go into the gut it out stage is so that we experience that undeniable need for help. God’s been helping all along, whether it was easy or hard, so we need to be thankful.

2. Look to help others. How does one go about doing that? By being approachable! We all need help, and we want someone to talk to about it! The older and more experienced saints must be approachable that way they can teach the younger (II Tim. 2:2, 24, Titus 2:4). Helping others can mean many things besides just teaching. Let’s be sensitive to God’s leading and look for opportunities! (Proverbs 3:27).

In conclusion…

• If you’re feeling romantic: check yourself.
• If you’re struggling: gut it out.
• If you’ve finally made it: Give God the glory and help someone else along the way.

Let us know how this has encouraged you.