Do the Next Thing

Famed missionary and author Elizabeth Elliot was asked how she managed her schedule. She said, “I do the next thing” and explained that we always know what to do next.
 

I’m not sure if this is an intuitive thing that others have, but God often guides His people by this inner sense of knowing what He wants us to do next. Of course all of our lives and attitudes are directed by the Word of God, but when I begin my day with a to-do list and the uncertainty of interruptions, there may not be a Bible chapter and verse for what needs to be accomplished or in what order.

Yet God gives direction. When the Israelites left Egypt, God guided them on their journey. A pillar of fire or a dark cloud gave them visible directions, or they were told what to do by God through their leader.

At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses. (Numbers 9:23)

This did not make them robots. For one thing, they always had a choice. By trial and error, obedience and disobedience, they learned that God’s direction was for their good and that they were wise to follow it. This applied to their travel, but also to the details of their lives including what to eat or not eat.

Again, I do not have a similar list of rules for the details of my day. I want to obey God yet am aware that I can procrastinate, avoid, or just refuse to do some of my chores. His concern for my well-being isn’t necessarily about the chores, but the attitudes of my heart. Do I say no because I am lazy? Or afraid of failure? Or selfishly more interested in doing my own thing? I need to pay attention to Him for many reasons.

Further, obedience to God requires sacrifice. It might be a short-term thing, like not watching a favorite television show because He puts a needy person on the telephone. It might be something more time consuming, like losing a whole day to drive a friend to the hospital, or require my resources such as taking a chunk of cash from my bank account to pay a bill for someone who is experiencing financial trouble. It might be a demand on my emotional strength, like holding the hand and crying with a neighbor who is grieving.

This “next thing” idea includes all sorts of things that I don’t put on my to-do list. They are unplanned, unexpected, and often not at all what I’d hoped for in my day. I might start out with ambitious projects in mind, then become tired and the “next thing” is a nap — about at the bottom of my priority list. I may hope for a leisurely day and up pops demands that are far from relaxing.

All this does not mean that all interruptions or opportunities must be answered as if they are from God. He offers a choice, but also that inner voice, the guiding of the Holy Spirit to let me know if this is the “next thing” or a mere distraction that requires a simple “no thanks.”

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Lord, I am grateful that You guide me so I don’t need to spend my days in a willy-nilly fashion. Any time that I am confused about what I should do, You provide Your Word, Your people, and the nudging of the Holy Spirit to take me to the next thing. Whether You want me to rest or move forward, do this thing or that thing, You also provide the confidence, strength and all resources to do it as well. Thank You that even at this very moment, I know the next thing.

To Live is Christ — Doing the next thing

A few years ago I had the privilege of attending a conference where missionary author and speaker Elizabeth Elliot was the main guest. She made one statement that stuck in my mind and has helped me greatly since then.

After she spoke, she allowed questions from the audience. One person asked her how she managed to do so much, and what was her secret to time management. She responded with something I’ve never heard or read elsewhere. She said, “Just do the next thing. You always know what that is.”

She was right. I always know. I might ignore it, or procrastinate, or allow myself to be distracted, but I always know. This is what it means to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

Paul knew too this guidance too, yet his life calling had a distinct focus. Jesus sent him to preach the gospel, mainly to the Gentiles. Nevertheless, Paul did not let anything distract him from that calling.

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24)

Yesterday God convicted me about letting distractions take me off course from what He wanted me to do. While my calling is not as distinct as Paul’s, I’m still called to “do the next thing.” As the Holy Spirit makes that next step clear, it can be frustrating at times. I often feel like a person walking on a dark and winding path with a flashlight. I can only see the next step by taking the step in front of me.

The difference between a life calling like Paul’s and a moment by moment one like mine is that his calling had a frame around it. He still had to make those moment by moment decisions, but all of them were related to the general focus that God had plainly given him. He had a lighthouse off in the distance as his goal.

For me, that lighthouse is pretty fuzzy. It is more of a general purpose like that expressed by author and speaker Angel Hunt at a writers’ conference. She said, “Writing is not a calling. Instead, God calls all of you (a group of Christian writers) to love and obey Him. Today you might be writing; tomorrow He may ask you to do something else.”

Several writers in that audience know that writing is their life’s work, but not me. I’m called to obey Him moment by moment. Right now, I am writing these thoughts from my daily devotions. The next thing is not clear until I finish this thing. Other times I feel like I’m not finished one thing and He is asking me to move on. For a person with attention deficit issues, this is both easy and difficult. I’m used to distractions that take me off course. Being distracted by God to “Do this” or “Go there” is somewhat similar and can even be exciting.

However, being “available” is also a test of obedience and faith. In my humanness, I can become absorbed with a project (as ADD people can do) and wish I could spend hours on it, but the still small voice will not let me. I’d also like a focus, a clear goal to aim for and wrap my activities around, not have to be constantly on the alert for a change of direction from God. Yet He asks me to keep my heart open to His call. I’m to avoid distractions, yet at the same time be obedient and drop whatever I am doing, finished or not, to do the next thing.