In business, we talk a lot about the “bottom line.” It’s important to know the final result, the end of the story, the status of the scoreboard. Whatever it took to get there, at the end of the day you want to know the success or failure of the actions that were taken. Increasingly organizations also use what are called “leading indicators” – measurements that indicate what the final result will be before we actually get there. Much like the “bottom line” these measurements look at the outcome of the decisions that are made. Organizations focus on results because we tend to think they will be a good indicator of whether the decisions made and processes used were the right ones.
Like many things in God’s economy, however, He turns this upside down. One place where we see this is Ezekiel 2:5-7. God tells Ezekiel to go to a “rebellious house” and indicates that he will be persecuted and ignored. However, God also says, “And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.”
Can you imagine that? God says, before Ezekiel even goes, that they are rebellious and indicates that they won’t be receptive to the message he has been sent to proclaim. Yet God still tells him to go, because Ezekiel’s job is to obey God. It’s God’s job to worry about the results.
It’s an important truth for us to remember as well. It can be tempting to try and think through all the likely outcomes when we are facing a decision. We want to plot and strategize to achieve the maximum results. However, if God has told us clearly that we are to do something, we need to simply do it. The One who holds the stars in His hands and commands the hearts of kings will manage the outcomes according to His purpose and pleasure.
How does trusting God for the results change our mindset? Why is it important to remember to obey even if we can’t anticipate the likely outcome?