Colossians 3:23
New International Version
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
One of my favorite quotes I ever heard was “Quit tripping on quarters reaching for dollars”. I heard that quote from a good friend and mentor of mine, Will Severns. I have come back to that quote often in my life. I believe that concept really ties into “Focus on the effort before the results”. While talking about money, this isn’t just related to finances. Yes, it could be a great way to look at investing. You don’t want to chase the big bucks and that big score.
You might have quarters that you can invest wisely so you don’t have to work so hard for your money. When you constantly reach for dollars, you forget you have quarters. Those quarters can ultimately do so many things. Stop reaching and living for the dollars you don’t have, and use those quarters wisely.
I think you can replace “goals” with “quarters” and “dollars” with” results”. “Quit reaching for results tripping on effort.” How many of us are reaching goals and idolizing what we don’t have? Isn’t that approach a slap in the face for who we are and what we have right now? We begin to devalue our worth constantly tripping over ourselves and ultimately never making progress.
We live in such a result-driven society. I believe that can be tied back to the Old Testament. So many societies were corrupt, making sacrifices to idol gods for favorable results. What are we sacrificing for the results? Are we sacrificing things that cannot be replaced? Time, family, friendships, health, eternal life. This cycle truly takes us out of the peace of the present moment.
The lower our self-esteem is, the more we seem to reach results. We end tripping because we think that the result; fix us, or will provide happiness, or cover up our darkness. Maybe the results will get us out of debt?
When I sustained my traumatic brain injury in 2013, I was labeled at risk to fall for 6 months. I wanted to achieve certain results to prove that label wrong. I fell into that trap. I was chasing things, not Jessus. What were these faster times really going to prove, or solve? Over time I stopped chasing things and started chasing Jesus. Laying desires down and focusing on him. Chasing Jesus keeps us focused on the effort before the result. This is what ultimately builds our character, leadership and legacy.
There is so much scripture that one can rely on and lean on with this theme. I encourage you to explore that on your own.
John Wooden said it best when he said “failure to prepare is preparing to fail. There’s nothing wrong with having goals or results in mind. I encourage you to focus on the effort. You really want to be able to learn on the effort We want our effort. When we have our efforts aligned, we are less likely to trip on the way. If your result was driven, you want to put in any effort. Faith without work is dead.
2 Peter 1:5
New International Version
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness and to goodness, knowledge;
“The man who enjoys the journey is better off than the man who enjoys the destination. If you are not focused on the journey, you will never be satisfied with the results you get because you didn’t grow. When it comes to effort, most people put too much effort into who they are and what they have. In the financial example, most people are tripping over quarters, reaching for dollars. They are not focused on those quarters.
I want to remind you that who you are and what you have is worth putting in the effort. I want to highlight one example. God called Mosses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. At first, Moses could not see himself as having that result or capacity. This takes place in Exodus 3. I want you to think of a time when maybe you wanted to run a marathon or make a high-school team.
Maybe you wanted a promotion at work, but you couldn’t see yourself achieving the result you wanted. Or maybe you want to change your vocation altogether. Maybe what you are doing is not what you want to do or what you think you are called to do. You are constantly tripping over self-doubt. That is how Moses Felt. Then, in Exodus 4, God told Moses to do something
4 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
2 Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,” he replied.
3 The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”
Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
God has already provided you with what you need because he’s always been your God, and he’s always provided. Now you can have peace to focus on the effort and stop tripping over quarters reaching for dollars. Find the value in who you are, who you are, and what he’s given you. Your effort is what could lead others to Jesus Christ. That effort will be better than any earthly results you might achieve.
To learn more about Ben Hinton and his works, you can visit his website and grab a copy of his book.
