Just Do It!

I love football. I'm really enjoying watching the Cowboys play this year. It's fun when you're winning! And it's getting time for the Pro Bowl selections to be announced--the best of the best (the AFC may as well just put the whole Patriots team out there).

Why aren't more people star athletes? For that matter, why aren't there more star musicians, star actors? Why aren't there more great companies? Outstanding entrepreneurs? Is it because there are few talented people out there? It is because it takes a lot of good luck to be in the right place at the right time. Is it because there's only so much room at the top? Okay, yes. All of that plays in to some degree.

All excuses aside, though, I think more of us could make it than do. Why? Because there are few people willing to put in the tough, rigorous training. It just takes too much self-discipline and all-out commitment.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. (1 Cor. 9:24-25)

That challenge jumped out at me today. How self-disciplined am I? Isn't that also what it takes to build a great church or a great company? How much do I really want to see God's business flourish? Contrary to what I often heard in church growing up, it's not just about "being faithful," as some people define that (meaning a license for mediocrity, stagnation and a lack of imagination). God wants me to work for success in the mission. Every business owner wants to turn a big profit. I think that drive is part of the image of God. Read Jesus' parables about the Kingdom. Read the prophets' business metaphors about Israel. God wants a profit. He wants results. He at least expects us to give it our very best shot.

And I can do it with his help if I will just be disciplined enough to stay in strict training. I've got to always be seeking to get better, to dream new dreams, to think new ideas, to experiment, to learn from others. This is God's business and it deserves the best I've got. I find my motivation has ups and downs. It's easy to be content to manage what already is instead of improving it. Or, as one author puts it, the temptation is to be so busy working in it that you don't take the time to work on it. It takes intentionally carving out time for the express purpose of working on it.

Like Nike says, I've got to just do it.