Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Friday January 13, 2006

The fifth point in the margin of Henry Drummond's Bible is one so simple that I wonder how so many people miss it. Missing this point is one reason for so many mediocre performances in the Christian arena. Arena is a pseudonym for life.

Have you ever been trying to figure something out, get a handle on a project, financing for a project or in some way seem stymied due to a block? I know I have. I have practiced Mr. Drummond's fifth point without being aware that it is a point and a very important one.

Guidepost #5

"Do the Next thing."

When you're up against a wall, when the soup won't mix, do the next thing.

Many years ago Ivy Hill, a management guru in the early days of the 20th Century met with Charles Schwab and gave him the key to quadrupling his production at his famous steel mills.

Mr. Hill's formula was to at the end of each day write down the things you want/need to accomplish the next day. Then organize them in order of their importance. Then work down the list completing each task and then going on to the next one. If for some reason you hit the wall and can't get #3 finished, take it as far you possibly can, and then do the next thing! And the next until you have the list completed.

'Do the next thing' is of course a management statement for life as it prevents idling away the stuff of life. Fooling around and hoping to accomplish something, anything, is just one of many ways of eating sleeping, breathing and coming to die and have barely scratched the surface of what we could have accomplished with our life had we followed a Godly plan.

Most ordinary people do not write out a plan covering a time period, nor do they write down the objectives to be achieved during the week and then the day. Each objective must be stated clearly. And then get to work. Failure to follow this procedure produces failure to some degree. This is the primary cause of Ordinaryitis.

I do not understand what I was thinking on those days when I fiddled away 2 hours, twiddling the thumbs waiting on a return call. I should have said, "I will do the next thing." It works and our lives and ministries will take on a new life when we prayerfully put this simple principle into practice on a regular basis in our daily walk and work.

Do all you can to finish the task at hand and when it hits a 'wait' do the next thing.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit.

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