My friend Richard Blackaby is trying to lose weight. And part of his plan includes running. I’m not revealing any secrets here. Richard wrote about it the other day. As he explained about the process he was experiencing, he said something that got me thinking. Dr. Blackaby, author of such books as Living Out of the Overflow, and Unlimiting God, set a goal of running in a 10K race. He set a long-term goal. Then he noticed something. He kept getting defeated over and over. The hill before him was too steep. And too long. He got a late start to the day. Many little things deterred him from achieving his goal.

After buying all the right gear…he certainly looked like a runner…he would look down the road too far, and he would be overwhelmed at how distant the goal was. As Blackaby explains…

“I always began my runs with noble intentions. But then I would look at the road ahead. I would see the hill on the horizon, and, inevitably, I’d get psyched out. As I began to ascend the hill, my legs would burn. My heart would race. My head would feel faint, and I’d slow to a walk.”

Are you relating to that? Whether you are a runner or not, we often set lofty goals…good goals…then realize how far away we are from that goal and begin to think of all the obstacles in the way of achieving that goal. Richard Blackaby learned some wisdom in this process. First of all, he learned our minds don’t always do us a favor. “It is amazing how creative your mind can be when it is looking for an excuse not to do what is best!” But there is a more important lesson. Blackaby explains.

“What I have learned is that, sometimes, the long view is a mistake. It involves too many questions and uncertainties…. And, just like that, you’ve talked yourself out of doing something that would have enriched your life and opened new doors of opportunity.”

So, if the long view is sometimes the wrong view, what’s the answer? Keep your vision on the next steps you need to take. Forget the big hill, or how far away the finish line is. Just take the next step…and the next…and the next. In essence, set aside the overall goal, and keep doing the small things that will get you there. Don’t let the long view overwhelm you.

I think of what Paul told the Galatian believers.

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 NLT

The long view…the big goal…may discourage you from achieving today what God has for you to accomplish. American preacher Robert Schuller, known for his pithy quotes, often said, “Inch by inch everything’s a cinch.”

Is there ever a time to take a long view? Of course. It is those lofty goals and plans that inspire. Urban planner Daniel Burnham is quoted as leading Chicago in the late 1800s with these words:

“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood…. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work….”

However, in the day-to-day struggles toward those big plans, keep striving for that next step…and the next. The goal will soon be realized. The accomplishment will bring satisfaction. Others will be inspired. And, as God’s servant, you will be on your way to bringing more glory to the Lord through your life.