What are you waiting for?

I read a blog post today at Stuff Christians Like about making "idea idols." What that means is that you make an idol out of an idea, thought, desire, or something similar. It becomes a stumbling block or keeps you from making the most out of your current situation. It got me thinking about something. A similar thing happens to me, but it involves "waiting." I can justify ignoring something if I don't feel that it's the right time or the right situation. It doesn't matter what it is, it can be something like sharing my faith or even something very trivial like moving the lawn mower into the garage so it doesn't keep getting rained on.

When I was a little younger, I would hear people talk about waiting to have kids or get married. Waiting until a certain amount of money was saved or the right living arrangements were met, etc. I would always say, "there will never be a perfect situation. You will never have the *exact* amount of money. There will always be some reason to put it off, if you are so inclined." And I am so inclined.

When you try to live by faith, it leaves a lot of questions. You feel like you should do something, but that fleshly nature inside starts throwing out excuses. Then you start second guessing yourself. Maybe that was just a fleeting thought. Maybe that's way too far out of my reach or ability. It seems like something I can do, but then the further I get removed from that initial thought, the less confident I am.

I've mentioned this before, but in the "Experiencing God" Bible study by Henry Blackaby, there was a point of emphasis that has stuck with me for a long time. Here's my paraphrase:
--find where God is at work and join Him.

If you feel led to get involved in something, don't wait, DO IT!! Here's a few analogies: At work, do you start out at the top, or do you need to learn about the job along the way? Did you start out running, or did you have to learn to crawl, then walk? Do athletes immediately go pro, or are there years or preparation involved?

It's not all or nothing. You don't have to be a pastor-in-training to get involved! You don't have to have mastered multiple theological arguments to mention Jesus in conversations. While waiting for that "perfect scenario," countless other ones will pass you by.