Pursue Progress Not Perfection~Wednesday

A few weeks ago I started using a chart to keep track of my kids’ responsibilities around the house.

It has columns for the days of the week and rows for each of the tasks I’ve assigned them. I created, printed, laminated, and hung the spreadsheets on the refrigerator. When they have completed the task, they check it off with a dry erase marker.

I’m no psychologist, but it seems to me seeing their progress inspires them to keep working toward their goals.

Tracking our progress can be helpful. I know I love to cross items off my to-do list.

But we can’t let it become obsessive.

I made this mistake recently tracking some statistics with my writing. I had become so focused on monitoring the growth of my community, I was neglecting those already a part of it. Instead of creating new quality content or honing my craft, I was checking the stats.

Tracking my progress was impeding my productivity.

There is probably an app to track for any kind of progress we would ever pursue. Calories burned or consumed. Weight lost or lifted. Blog visitors, views, and shares. Grade point averages and Bible verses read. Money spent and saved.

But when I’m consumed by the progress, I often lose sight of what’s right in front of me. We have to work and wait. We have to make one good decision at a time. We have to seek God in every situation. We have to let His Spirit guide our every decision.

Choose to challenge our muscles.

Select food as fuel for our bodies.

Write for the One.

Study the lesson.

Open the Bible.

Analyze every purchase.

When we diligently seek His heart, we can trust He will take care of the progress according to His purpose.

Seek God with all your heart (1 Chronicles 28:9) in every circumstance and then trust Him to work it out for His glory and according to His good purpose (Romans 8:28).

Author:  Liz Giertz

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