Our American culture is constantly telling us to get creative, find your own way, and make life your own. In other words, we’ve been conditioned to think that we need to be lost in deep thought as we constantly consider all the variables that could be at play. As a result of this, many of us, myself included, easily suffer from analysis paralysis… Your inability to be productive because you are overthinking your current situation

Look, I’m all for creativity and creating a fresh approach to something, but what does this mean about right now? What about when you struggle to think “outside the box?” What are we to do when our brains just don’t work this way? Or what if any attempt to think this way seems to never produce fruit and only results in even more stagnancy?

This is why I believe we may need to STOP THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX! Or at least greatly increase how intentional we are with what we already have.

I’m convinced that we have what we need to do whatever it is that we are supposed to be doing in this moment. Yes, there’s always a need for planning and looking ahead, but what does God want for you in this moment or season of life? I believe we’d find ourselves to be much more productive and satisfied with our present situation if we’d simply focus on stewarding what we have rather than constantly wishing for what we don’t have.

Check out this passage from Matthew 25:14-26… Jesus is teaching a valuable lesson here. He’s not saying do something creative. He’s saying work with what you’ve got!

At the same time, the emphasis in this passage is not “how much” you have… Jesus said, “Well done good and faithful servant” to both the one who had 5 talents and the one who had 2. I believe He would’ve said the same thing to the servant who only had 1 talent if he would’ve simply worked with what He had.

You see, the servant who had 1 talent was paralyzed by the fact he didn’t have more. He was the classic example of someone who feels as if they must think outside the box. Jesus simply wants you to take what you have and steward it well. The worst thing you can do is to do nothing because you think you don’t have enough!

2 tough questions to consider…

  1. Do you believe that God is capable of giving you your daily bread? In other words, do you trust Him to the point that you know He has your best interest at heart and that He will give you what you need?
  2. How well are you stewarding what you have?

Let’s make this practical. For example, if you’ve been thinking…

  • “If I only had more money, I’d do this…” then you should examine how well you are stewarding the resources you currently have.
  • “If I could only get this person to notice me, I would be…” then you should recognize the people who already know you and consider how those relationships are going. Perhaps, even more so, realize that God notices you in a way far better than anyone else.

Stop thinking outside the box. Just work with whatever God’s currently entrusted to you! When you do this, you are declaring you trust Him to know what you need better than you do!