It’s been a difficult month.
It’s all stuff that’s pretty similar to what you’re probably dealing with. Work. Interpersonal issues. Family stuff. Easter. Health issues. General personal stress.
Nothing particularly life-threatening. Nothing anyone will die over.
Yet, I’m still feeling pretty zapped.
I acknowledge that there are people close to me who have it way, way worse. One friend is caring for her mother on hospice. Another has an unbelieving husband with serious health issues. Still another friend has just brought home her new baby son, who was born prematurely and still faces some health challenges.
But I also have to acknowledge that it’s not a competition. It’s not about who is dealing with the most or the hardest stuff.
It’s about the fact that Jesus promised us that in this world, we would have trouble, but that He has overcome the world.1 James later elaborated on this point in his epistle when he says to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials.”2
Not if. When.
We should be prepared for things to go awry, but often, we still feel caught off guard, whether someone’s life is at stake or not. Our responses often reflect not just our attitudes about the whole situation but also about the things right in front of us.
When you’re in the middle of challenging circumstances, there are often things you physically cannot do, either because of time or corporeal limitations. I was sick for three days last week to the point where I was so exhausted that sleeping was my only option.
It was deeply frustrating and deeply untimely. I have a full client load, personal writing I’m doing, loved ones with needs, church events to attend. Every moment I wasn’t doing anything felt like a loss, even though my most immediate need was rest.
On the other hand, I have also left things undone, not because I felt ill but because I simply did not want to do them.
You probably already know this, but that isn’t a sustainable approach.
It also just doesn’t make much sense. Sometimes the thing you don’t want to do is so small that when it’s finished, you’re baffled at how easy it was and how little time it took.
Of course, sometimes we’re talking about bigger things like family and work responsibilities, where not doing them leads to broken trust and relationships.
That’s more serious because not doing these things reflects a general lack of respect for the people depending on you.
My mentor at the marketing agency where I used to work often said that when you put off tasks, you need to look at yourself and see what you’re trying to avoid. There’s always something. Frequently, it involves confronting some deeply seated internal difficulty that is either too painful or requires too much personal work to examine.
But one thing the Lord has been teaching me lately is that, regardless of your situation, the best thing you can do is just show up.
I don’t mean this in some kind of prosperity gospel/mystical/charismatic way. I’m simply saying that when you take a step of faith to do the thing you don’t want to do, God will show up and close the gap.
Elisabeth Elliot, one of my favorite women of faith, famously instructed her readers to “do the next thing.” It’s not just a pat phrase—it’s something the Lord Himself commands us to do. Isaiah 50:7 reads as follows:
“The Lord God will help me; therefore, I shall not be confounded. Therefore, have I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”
When we know the Lord will help us, we can step into whatever the next thing is.
Even if our attitude is bad. Even if we’re tired. Even if we are weary of doing good.
Elliot goes on to describe what this means:
What is the next thing for you to do? Small duties, perhaps? Jobs that nobody will notice as long as you do them? A dirty job that you would get out of if you could have your own preferences? Are you asked to take some great responsibility, which you really don’t feel qualified to do? You don’t have to do the whole thing right this minute, do you? I can tell you one thing that you do have to do right this minute. It’s the one thing that is required of all of us every minute of every day. Trust in the living God.3
This principle isn’t just for the minor duties and tough stuff in front of us. If you’re a creator, it’s especially for you.
On Friday, despite my general feelings of malaise and frustration, I returned to a fiction writing project I’ve been deep into for several weeks. Not because I wanted to, but because I knew it was the right thing for me to do.
I knew I might not increase my word count much (not that that particularly matters to me) or even get that deep into developing the story. I just knew that if I could simply reenter the story, even just a little, I would be glad I did it.
And I was.
Creators like to make excuses. Not only that, but we frequently come up with a lot of those small duties or other responsibilities so we don’t have to create. I recently had a client tell me that she didn’t feel like a real writer because she usually doesn’t feel like writing.
If that’s you, I wholeheartedly say, “Welcome to the club.”
But the truth is, if you’re always saying, “I’ll create when I feel like it,” you never will do anything.
I saw this infographic on Substack last week, and it made an impact on me:
The phrases “I’ll feel better once I do it” and “I’ll do it once I feel better” are incompatible. The former is often the truth. The latter is often an excuse.
I think Elisabeth Elliot would add a third option, though: Trust in the Living God. And then do it anyway.
Just show up. To do the dishes. To care for your children, spouse, or parents. To paint a picture. To vacuum. To have a hard conversation at work. To write a poem. To give a friend a ride. To go to the gym. To memorize lines for a play or practice a song. To serve at church.
God has promised that He will help.
And most of the time, you will feel better once you do it.
What about you? Does any of this resonate with your experiences? How do you get past that uncomfortable place of not wanting to do it? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
John 16:33
James 1:2
You can read the whole essay here: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://storage.snappages.site/CS8HTG/assets/files/Children-Do-the-Next-Thing-by-Elisabeth--14.pdf
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