When I was a kid, we would gather all the other kids in the neighborhood and play outdoor games. One of my favorites was Hide and Seek. The name says it all. One person had to close their eyes while everyone else found a place to hide. Soon, the designated “seeker” would yell out, “Ready or not, here I come.” Then, he or she would begin to look for the people who were hiding. Simpler days back then, for sure.

Sometimes, on our personal journeys, we want to yell out, “Wait, I’m not ready!” God puts a challenge before us, and we want to know more details before we are willing to commit. We aren’t ready, and we aren’t going.

Pastor and author Mark Batterson says that is bad thinking. Using the life of Abraham as an example, Batterson says we have it all wrong.

“You’ll never be ready. You’ll never be ready to get married. You’ll never be ready to have kids. You’ll never be ready to start a business or go back to school or move to the mission field…. You’ll never have enough faith, enough cash, or enough courage.”

Mark Batterson goes on to say, “I never have been, and I’m sure I never will be, ready for anything God has called me to do.”

The writer of Hebrews points out how Abraham lived is how we should live our life of faith. When God called Abraham, “He went without knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8 NLT). If that were us today, we would likely want a long-term plan before we stepped out in faith.

Does that mean we shouldn’t plan or use our wisdom and experience in our long-term decision-making? Not at all. We don’t need to take a thoughtless or prayerless approach on our spiritual journey. But it does mean that we need to be ready to move on whatever revelation the Lord shares with us.

Batterson says we need to take on the attitude, “Why not?” Dare to dream. Dare to take God at His word, without knowing the whole story. If you spend all your time getting ready, you may miss the wonderful adventure that the Lord has for you.

The best illustration of this in my personal life was launching MEDIA Alliance International. At a time when many of my friends were retiring, heading to the golf course, or hitting the road in an RV, I sensed God leading me to start this nonprofit ministry. It meant we would have to raise all the resources. We would have to start from scratch designing ministry with worldwide impact. And we would do it with no staff. On paper (and in some people’s minds) it didn’t make sense. I guess in my heart I was saying, “Why not?” OK, there could have been many reasons why not. But I didn’t let those things deter me from what I sensed the Lord wanted me to do. Gratefully, my wife Judy was in full agreement. And there were others who encouraged me as we took the first steps. Trusting in God’s provision overrode the fear that could have stopped me.

Ten years later, by God’s direction, MEDIA Alliance works with dynamic ministry partners in over forty countries and has virtual offices in four key regions of the world. Fifteen thousand Christians in media ministries have been trained and encouraged as they serve, often in challenging places.

If we are not careful, says Batterson, we become so afraid of doing the wrong thing that it keeps us from doing the right thing. Abraham didn’t know where he was going. He didn’t know what would be there when he arrived. But his focus was on following the Lord. Abraham was obedient to the revelation God had given him. And the writer of Hebrews puts him in the Hall of Fame of the Lord’s faithful servants.

What is God telling you? What does He want you and your ministry to do? Take the attitude “Why not?!”

God’s best,