Stay Ahead, not Behind - Inspire A Fire

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.

~Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT

I once carried a large trash bag, but no more. Now, I stay ahead, not behind.

When we first moved to our subdivision, litter lined the roads like jam on bread and decorated the woods near the creek. I loved my afternoon walks—looking at wildlife in the woods, listening to the creek run over a small waterfall—but I hated the litter that distorted my view.

So, I decided to act. With the help of a couple of grandsons—and daily persistence on my part—we cleaned up the litter. It took weeks and mounds of large trash bags, but we finished it. Now, I could walk and look litter-free. Sadly, things didn’t stay that way.

Litter appeared again like a childhood monster that wouldn’t disappear. Of course, I could have ignored it, and in short order, it would have piled up again and been as much of an eyesore as it was initially. I had a better plan.

Several times a week, I carry a small plastic bag and a pick-up stick when walking. Staying ahead of the game keeps me from falling behind the eight ball. And it also keeps my subdivision litter-free. Picking up several pieces of litter weekly trumps accosting large bags at once.

Life is similar to what the writer of this proverb quotes above. If a farmer waits for perfect weather to farm, they will never farm. I know. Both of my grandfathers were farmers, and I have been an avid gardener in the past. The same is true with the harvesting. Sometimes, the farmer must gather the crop in inclement weather. Similarly, if I wait until I feel like picking up litter, I never will. If I wait for residents and non-residents of my subdivision to stop littering, I will once again find litter decorating the landscape. I could rationalize that it’s not my litter, but that wouldn’t make it disappear.

The above also applies to family, work, and community responsibilities. Keeping up with them is far wiser than falling behind. Catching up is far more difficult.

Even more critical is our need to stay ahead in our spiritual responsibilities—keeping up with our spiritual disciplines, utilizing our God-given gifts and talents, worshiping, serving, and fellowshipping with other believers. Falling behind always takes us further from God personally and affects God’s kingdom work.

Staying ahead in anything, so we don’t fall behind, takes discipline. Procrastination typically comes more easily than planning, but God and others can help us.

Stay ahead, not behind, in whatever ways you can. Decide on a plan and stick to it.

Martin Wiles

Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author. He serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net and is an instructor for the Christian PEN (professional editor’s network). Wiles is multi-published author. His most recent book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, is available on Amazon. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of seven. He can be contacted at [email protected].