Before you ask “What’s next?” ask this question
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:3-4)
I finished writing my last book on a Friday and started writing the next one the following Monday. I took almost no time to stop, see, and appreciate the goodness of what I had finished before moving on to the next thing. What a contrast to the way we see God working in today’s passage.
In the first chapter of Genesis, we are told seven times that God “saw that [his work] was good.” The language here suggests more than just a passing glance. You can envision God taking a step back, breathing deeply, and exhaling in delight as he gazed and marveled at the good work of his hands. He didn’t rush on to the next thing. He took the time to see and delight in what he had already made.
Again, what a contrast to the way we work today. You and I are always looking towards the next thing—the next deal, the next promotion, the next project, the next phase of parenting. In the words of President Bartlet, we are always asking, “What’s next?”
Some of this is good and unavoidable. God made us in his creative image, and thus, we will always have some level of vision for what’s around the corner for our work and lives. But if we want to work as God works, we will ask “What’s good?” before we ask “What’s next?” We will pause long enough to celebrate what God has already done through our work before we move on to the next thing.
So before you ask “What’s next?” on your to-do list or calendar today, take a moment to ask “What’s good?” Reflect on what God has been doing in and through your work as of late and praise him for his good gifts of grace!
