Preparation is a part of the Job

Drew Carey tells the story of how he won the chance to appear on “The Tonight Show” very early in his career. However, when the show tried to contact him and inform him of that fact, he could not be reached. (Yes, there was a day not so long ago when people were not attached to electronic leashes.) So he missed his chance. It would take three long years of travel and hard work in comedy clubs before he would get a second chance. He claims that it is likely the best thing that could have happened to him. At the time, all he had was an interesting “look” and a few minutes of passable material. He would not have been able to capitalize on the appearance.

When we set out to accomplish a task, we often overlook the most important step: the preparation. In the current microwave generation, we want instant gratification. We think we deserve success simply because we want it. Multiple generations have now been raised to view participation as the goal. Unfortunately, the results of such attitudes are showing. As a culture, we are convincing ourselves that intentions are just as good as accomplishments, and it just isn’t true.

In church culture, things may be even worse. Some people think that God’s calling is all the preparation they need to perform a ministry. They seem to forget that Biblical precedent often calls for lengthy periods of preparation. Both Moses and Paul are examples where years of preparation came before they were ready to fulfill God’s plan. (None of this speaks to the other problem on the rise today where individuals are the only people allowed to speak into a call they think they have received.)