Proverbs 14:4 (NLT)
“An empty stable stays clean, but no income comes from an empty stable.”

Productivity vs. Perfection

A farmer with no oxen keeps a clean stable, but he should also expect no food and no income. We have to realize that mess comes with success. It is only when there is work in the stable that there are gains for the able!
If you desire great rewards, it requires great risk, great resourcefulness, and great responsibility. The grind is real. A construction site is an absolute mess of dust, debris, and noise until the house is finished. If you want the “structure” of a finished dream, you have to be willing to live through the “construction zone” of the process. Success requires sacrifice, a refusal to settle, and the stamina to put up with other people’s—and even your own—temporary mess.

The Practice:

Navigating the Work

1. Identify “The One Thing”
Determine the one thing that you must do today—the task that, once completed, makes everything else easier or even unnecessary. Often, it’s the very thing we are avoiding. Don’t clean the stable; buy the ox. Focus on the engine of your income, not just the appearance of your area.
2. The Momentum of Completion
Commit to doing that one thing. When finished, move to the next. In other words: Finish something. We often get overwhelmed by the “mess” because we have ten half-started projects. Completions provide the spiritual and mental momentum to keep moving forward. Get out of bed, drink the water, set the meeting, read the book, write the vision down. Cross it off the list!
3. No Vouchers for Laziness
Refuse to excuse non-activity. Anyone can be lazy; it takes no talent to do nothing. Remember, God will not do for you what He has already empowered you to do for yourself. He gives the strength, but you have to steer the ox.
4. Close the Ears, Open the Eyes
Choose not to let the negative opinions or assessments of others stop your progress. Critics usually have the “cleanest stables” because they aren’t doing any work. Ask yourself: Do I believe what God says about my potential, or do I believe what they say about my current mess? Make your choice and stand on it.

Today’s Declaration:

“I am trading my ‘clean and empty’ life for a ‘messy and productive’ one. I choose the ox over the empty stable. I refuse to let the ‘construction dust’ of my process stop me from seeing my finished purpose. I will do ‘The One Thing’ today, I will finish what I start, and I will believe God’s report over the critics’ noise.”

A messy stable is the sign of a growing harvest. Today is a great day to make a Fresh Start!
God bless,
+Pastor Kris