The Joy of Beginning

I can see the finished product in my mind and know every step that needs to happen along the way. I can see how the top will look when it's finished. I can picture exactly what the base will look like and how it will attach to the underside of the slab. It's going to be a beautiful coffee table. I close my eyes and can imagine it sitting in our living room. The only thing left to do is one of the most challenging aspects of the task: getting started.

I've walked down to my workshop no less than half a dozen times, intending to start building the leveling jig that I'll need to flatten the oak slab that will serve as the top of the table. And yet, every time I turn on the lights and prepare to lay out the first steps of the project, something seems to conveniently distract me. A shelf needs reorganizing, or a cabinet needs to be moved. And while I'm being productive, I'm not starting the project I want to start.

Sometimes, starting a thing can be the hardest part.

You can relate to this, I'm sure. At some point in your life, you've created something from scratch, whether it's a home improvement project, a recipe, or an organization. You have the desire to make a start. You have the vision. You can see the potential down the road. But before you can get there, you must start with “step 1.” And sometimes, if we’re honest, the thought of starting from the ground up is both exhilarating and exhausting. This is just as true for the tasks you see around your home as it is for the tasks God has called you to.

Like everything else in our lives, the Bible has something to say about this.

We see this concept play out in the Old Testament book of Zechariah. Zechariah was a priest from a well-to-do family. When the southern kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonians, his family was taken captive and taken to Babylon. Zechariah would have been born in exile, but when the remnant returned to Jerusalem around 538 BC, he was with them. One of the tasks the newly returned Jews set about accomplishing was rebuilding the Temple, which the Babylonians had destroyed in 586 BC. But years after the new foundation had been laid, there was little progress, and challenges abounded. God’s people were struggling to get started. The size of the task overwhelmed them.

Against this backdrop, God sent Zechariah a series of visions to encourage the returned Israelites. In Zechariah 4:8–10, God assured Zechariah that Zerubbabel, the governor who had begun the work on the Temple, would indeed complete it. In verse 10, the Lord speaks against those discouraged and dismayed at the slow-going of the Temple rebuild:

"For who despises the day of small things? These seven eyes of the Lord, which scan throughout the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the ceremonial stone in Zerubbabel’s hand.”

“For who despises the day of small things?” Do you see what God is saying here through the prophet? He's acknowledging what we know to be true about ourselves: sometimes, the task can seem too big. This is true when it comes to building coffee tables and when it comes to our faith.

Sometimes, we can't seem to start because we're overwhelmed by what it will take to get where God wants us to be. We can see the finish line. We know what God has in store. But getting started can take the wind out of our sails.

So many times in life, we find ourselves starting, or maybe even starting over. God's encouragement to His people 2,500 years ago is still just as relevant for us today. Don't be discouraged if you find yourself looking up at the mountain of the task God has called you to. If God has led you to begin a task, He will give you the strength to complete it. And along the way, He will bless you amid hardship and success.

Don’t get discouraged by the work ahead. Be excited about the opportunity to work alongside God.

This article originally appeared in the Good For You Newsletter, Vol: 6.

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Andy BlanksComment