Let's Get It Started

Getting started is often the most difficult part of any journey. We procrastinate, goof off and come up with all kinds of rationales as to why we don’t begin. We know we should respond, but sloth takes over and we wait. Some of us wait for perfection before beginning. Some of us won’t go alone. Some of us are anxious and afraid, so we procrastinate.

A definition of “proactive” is “creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened.” Proactive is the opposite of being passive and/or reactive. It does not blame others or make excuses. Proactive takes initiative and makes a valiant effort. Proactive says, “I will seize the moment.”

The Bible is full of proactive people. Some were advancing their own status (Lot, King Saul, Judas Iscariot), some were evil (the devil, Jezebel, King Herod), some were hesitant (Abraham, Moses, Esther, Joseph and Mary, the disciples and Saul). Others were immediately on board (Joshua, Rahab, Ruth, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Daniel). Some started strong and lost their nerve (David, Solomon, Elijah). Being proactive doesn’t mean we are perfect or have it all figured out, but it does mean we have dreams, ambition, goals, vision and a desire to make a difference. “If you want to get something done, ask a busy person.” Effective people start—they also keep going to completion. Effective people are proactive.