The first step towards being successful is picking up the trash! I know it doesn’t sound heroic or romantic but it is a good place to start. Before you close this page or think I’m crazy at least hang with me for a few more minutes. Are you ready? Let’s go!
The First Step Toward Success
While on vacation this past week we were herding up our crew and trying to clean up at the same time. It’s quite a task to get children to clean up and leave the beach. In any case, as we were leaving I saw my wife pick up someone else’s trash that had been left. She didn’t think much of it and nor was she trying to teach a lesson. She simply saw trash that needed picking up.
This got me to thinking. Do you know what happens when we leave trash laying around? It creates a dump and someone else has to waste time and effort to clean it up. People leave trash laying around because they do not think it is a big deal or only a small matter.
It made me think about how we often we leave “trash” laying around in our lives. What would happen if we started taking care of the small stuff in our lives? What if we could start with the little things that we could do that are in front of us?
Many people want to jump straight to the top without the accompanying struggle and hard work. They want to have the “overnight” success that others seem to have. Overnight success is just the accumulation of hard work, good planning and showing up!
Last week I had lunch with another minister who asked how I came to the church and position that I am in. He admitted that he assumed that I had it easy and was just handed everything. After sharing my story of how I worked 60 hours a week and lived in my mother-in-law’s garage for six years to complete a master’s degree it was a little less glamorous to him. Also, when I told him that I started off as an intern at my church making $200.00 a week and then being hired as an administrative assistant before becoming a full time associate pastor was a little eye opening for him. He was shocked because he thought I came to where I am overnight. He assumed that I had the easy life and picked money off of trees to pay the bills. I still can’t find a money tree at my local nursery!
Reality is, everything that I have accomplished has come because of three things:
1. First and foremost, my Heavenly Father has been good to me.
2. Lots of hard work. There are no shortcuts!
3. I started small.
The one step that most people really do not understand is simply starting small. When we do what is in front of us we position ourselves for “overnight” success. I ask my students all the time, “If God can’t trust you with the little stuff, then how can he trust you with the big stuff?” In other words, “If you can’t take out the trash then why would someone want to trust you with something really important?”
What’s a small step that you can do now as you head toward your dream?
So true. If you can’t be a good steward of the little, how can you be a good steward of the large? We want to skip to the endings because we want the feeling of accomplishment or arrival. But that just proves that we’re doing it for our glory and not his.
This is true. When we are younger we often want God to do something “big” for us but what we should focus on is being faithful in the little details and then wait for promotion.
Wow, Eric this really ministered to me. First, let me say, I am just like your wife. I was at Va. Beach last week with the family on vacation, and as I was walking the beach I picked up trash that didn’t belong to me. But I felt compelled to do it because I want to enjoy a clean beach and I want everyone else to enjoy it as well. Now for the ministering part…I started a blog officially last week. Since I posted my first couple of posts between last week and today, I’ve been looking at my posts literally every hour to see if anyone had commented. I’ve been looking for “overnight” success, even though I know it doesn’t happen that way. I just need to trust in the Lord to give the increase. Sorry for the long comment. God Bless you!!
Juan,
Thanks for the comment. Congrats on starting your blog! I haven’t been blogging long and I can remember waiting for the first “comment”! I can also remember wanting “overnight” success but I’ve learned that it’s usually not very realistic. I’m glad this ministered to you. I look forward to connecting with you in the future!
Eric
This is such a great post with great key’s to becoming successful. It takes serving, hard work, and dedication. It reminded me of a great lesson I learned about serving.
It was on a youth group night at the church I volunteered at. I was a youth leader and was preaching that night. (The church was small and rented out a High School) About 45 minutes before the youth started to arrive I went into the bathroom to gather my thoughts. When another leader came in, used the bathroom, and then did something which shocked me. He started to pick up all the trash from the floor(It was a mess because the bathrooms where not yet cleaned). Right then I learned even more the importance of doing small acts of service, since then I always have my eyes open to do small acts of service.
Great post.
What a great story Dan! I think sometimes the Lord sends us reminders of what servant leadership looks like!