You may be familiar with the phrase, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s practical advice. Unfortunately, though, it discourages the taking of risks.I
Iwas am reminded of a time when I was challenged along with a group of other like-minded individuals, to think beyond the idea. We instead began asking, “how can it be better?” And honestly, it was a breath of fresh air in many ways.
Maybe it’s because I am a constant tinkerer or am always “wordsmithing” the things I write, but I have never been one to settle for status quo or mediocrity.
That challenge reminded me of my favorite Edward Filene quote,
“Progress is the constant replacing of the best there is with something better still.”
And on that note, I wanted to offer up some reasons why you need to “fix it” – whatever “it” is:
- If you are not moving forward, you are falling behind.
Our former pastor often reminded us that a church is either growing or dying. It’s never stagnant. It’s never standing still. I truly believe that to be true. And I believe it to be true of everything. Stagnation becomes a breeding ground for infection, disease and (worst of all) complacency. It’s very easy it to be accepting of what is. Yes, a breather every now and then is important, but don’t let a brief timeout become an extended period of time off. Getting the train moving again is all the more challenging. - Just because you “built it” don’t think you can sit back and expect them to just “come”.
I love the movie “Field of Dreams” and love the book it was based upon, “Shoeless Joe” even more. I even love the oft-echoed refrain of “If you build it, he will come.” It symbolizes the idea of listening to a higher calling even in the face of ridicule and downright foolishness. But it’s morphed into this cultural belief and misguided understanding that all you have to do is build something. As a writer, building a book is the easy part. What comes after that is the hard part and where a tremendous amount of work is required.Just because it’s written, I can’t expect someone to read it. I have to help people to know about it and understand why they should consider reading it. There’s a need to get advance copies to people for reviews, seek out retail outlets so people can buy it, press releases, media interviews, websites to create, book signings, and so much effort that goes into getting people to read. And this is just one example. Everything in life requires more than building it. Once it’s built, it needs to be nurtured. - “Good enough” is not always good enough.
Confession time. I wrote “Listen Up Kids” very quickly and even started it using my iPad. I knew there were typos and grammatical issues. So I did two or three rounds of edits before I shared it with any trusted friends and family members. I got a lot of good feedback but nobody said anything about potential issues with grammar, punctuation or language selection. Seemingly, it was good enough. I then started asking some other individuals to take a look and perhaps offer an endorsement I could include in the later marketing of the book.Thank goodness one of them, whose opinion I highly value and trust, said (and I’m paraphrasing), “Dude, I’ve only read the first few pages but I can tell you really need a good copy editor. Please don’t publish this until that happens.” Had I been the Chad of 10-20 years ago, I would have glumly and internally said; “What the heck does this person know? This is me and my voice. How dare they?” Thankfully, I have mellowed (I think) as I’ve grown older and am more open to the kindness this person offered. The finished work will be better than “good enough” as a result.Interestingly, I am getting a lot of great additional feedback from my launch team right now and am seeing more improvements to the book happening. It’s amazing when I consider where it was to where it is and where it is heading. I can’t wait to share it with the world! - We are all works in progress until the day God calls us home.
This is one of my personal credos. It’s based upon three different biblical versus. The first is Isaiah 64:8, which states:“But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
The second is Romans 12:2, which states:
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The third is 2 Corinthians 5:17, which states:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
We’re all born into this world with a sinful human condition longing for personal attention to satisfy needs and selfish desires. We walk in darkness, separate from Christ and His redeeming blood. And yes, we may be foolish, proud, ignorant, indifferent or arrogant. Heck, we might even relish in that sinister vibe underling our lifestyles.
But, as one of God’s chosen, you’re called according to
Instead of saying it ain’t broke, ask how can it be better?
His will. And the road that gets you there is personal between you and Him. It brings you to salvation – which represents a radical change. It’s one of transition from darkness to light and from eternal damnation to eternal life in heaven. It’s then that we cold and obstinate lumps of clay turn malleable and begin to accept the shaping of our Master.
As a Christian, we should never be content in our spiritual walks and life. We should always be pressing on toward greater maturity while helping others – with Christ-like compassion – to achieve the same.
