Feeling overwhelmed? Just do the next thing.

Is everything too much?

Concerned over your future – of things not working out?

There’s a simple solution: just do the next thing…

“Do it immediately, 
do it with prayer, 
do it reliantly, 
casting all care. 
Do it with reverence, 
tracing His hand 
who placed it before thee 
with earnest command. 
Stayed on omnipotence, 
safe ‘neath His wing,
leave all resultings, 
do the next thing.”

(ancient Saxon poem referenced by Elisabeth Elliot)

Let me give you some good news…

You don’t need to know it all.

God knows. He will direct your path – if you ask Him.

So, if you’ve asked God to be with you today, to direct all your ways, then take heart.

You haven’t come all this way to only go this far…

Just do the next thing.

And then the next.

You can.

(… more from Elizabeth Elliot)

“Tucked in the back of the Book of Mark, following the story of the Crucifixion, we read this lovely little story.

Mark 15:42-46

“By this time, evening had come. And as it was preparation day (that is, the day before the Sabbath), Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, a man who looked forward to the kingdom of God, bravely went into Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that He was already dead, so he sent for the centurion and asked him whether it was long since He died. When he heard the centurion’s report, he gave Joseph leave to take the dead body. So Joseph bought a linen sheet, took Him down from the cross, wrapped Him in the sheet and laid Him in a tomb cut out of the rock and rolled a stone against the entrance.”

Can’t you imagine the disciples and Mary and Martha and the other bewildered women, sitting in absolute dejection and perplexity when their Lord and Master and King had just died?

They couldn’t think of one single thing to do.

Here came this Godly man, who looked forward to the kingdom of God, who bravely went in and asked for the body of Jesus.

He could think of one thing to do. He did the next thing.

That must have been a tremendous cheer and encouragement to those discouraged people. “

Elizabeth Elliot is the author of more than 20 books.