I grew up near family who had a farm in Minnesota. Every Sunday we were out in the garden together — hoeing, planting seeds, watering. Before long there were beans, corn, and all the things we had planted.
The garden never waited for perfect conditions. Seeds went in the ground in the season that was available, and the multiplication followed. That picture has stayed with me: you have everything needed for profit and growth. The seed is already in your hand.
Zechariah 4:10 says the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Not to see it finished. Not to see it succeed. To begin. He is not waiting for you to have it all figured out. He is waiting for you to start.
In The Workplace
The number one reason teams do not get started is not due to a lack of resources. It is waiting. Waiting for the right conditions. Waiting for the team to be bigger. Waiting for the idea to be fully formed. Waiting for someone else to go first.
The Lord rejoices to see the work begin — not only when it is polished, or has traction, but when it begins. This tells you what God values: the act of faith that plants the seed before there is any evidence of what it will become.
The question for any team is not do you have everything you need, because you never will. The question is what seed is in your hand right now — and what is stopping you from putting it in the ground? The answer to the second question is almost always the real conversation.
Questions and Goals For Your Team
- What seed does our team have right now — an idea, a relationship, a resource, a capability — that we have been waiting to plant?
- What perfect condition have we been waiting for — and is it actually necessary, or is it fear dressed up as patience?
Take some time to name one seed your team will begin to plant this week. Write it specifically, and determine to begin before your next meeting.
Pray Together With Your Team
Father, we will not despise small beginnings. We plant what we have, in the season we are in, and we trust You for the multiplication. You rejoice to see the work begin. We are beginning today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Above is an excerpt from the Heart to Heart Workplace Series. We are preparing publication of this 12-Week program for faith-centered teams and leaders. Stay tuned for launch dates and free downloads coming soon.
Planting seeds for growth,
Karen Conrad Metcalfe