Back in Girl-Scout days we used to sing a song that started with, “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly…” Doesn’t sound very pleasant, does it? But wait, it gets worse!
It goes on to state, “I know an old lady who swallowed a spider…to catch the fly…” Then, “…swallowed a bird to catch the spider… to catch the fly…” By the end, this poor old lady had “swallowed a horse—to catch the cow… to catch the dog… to catch the cat… to catch the bird…” – all to catch that fly that no one knows why—she swallowed!
But one thing we do know—she made good use of what I call the “in-order-to principle! And as we can see through this song–
WE CAN ACCOMPLISH A LOT THROUGH THE IN-ORDER-TO PRINCIPLE!
Granted, none of us plan to use this old lady’s method of fly catching. But though it’s “absurd to swallow a bird”, this principle does have real-life usefulness.
For example: One morning last week I realized I needed to have bread in order to have lunch. But in order to have bread I needed to make some, since we’d eaten the last of it the day before…
In order to make bread I needed to grind flour…
In order to grind flour, I needed to go get more white-wheat berries from the cool and dry place I store them in…
Then, in order to put the ground flaxseed into the dough I had to grind more flaxseed…
Oh, what a great feeling of accomplishment I had by the time I got that bread into the oven! And yes, in order to bake it, I had to turn the oven on.
The result? Fresh bread, with plenty of freshly ground flour and flax seed left for next time
What about the rest of life? What if…
- Assess and take stock of your strengths and interests in order to determine the best kind of job for you… in order to research the right kind of jobs and how to get them… in order to see which fit the best… in order to prepare your resume in order to apply in order to get an interview in order to…
- Start with character development in order to lead yourself well. Continue with skill development in order to lead others well. In order to lead your particular team best, find out about each member… in order to give them the best-fit responsibilities… in order to develop them individually and together… in order to thrive in order to produce optimum output in order to…
- Similar to being a team leader except the stakes are higher and you’re starting with development from “ground zero”! Develop your own character in order to be the best possible parent… in order to create the best possible context and opportunities for their growth in every area… in order to train them well… in order to launch them into society as adults.
–Of course, as with any leadership, followers and children have free-will, so there’s no guaranteed success with all this. But at least you’ll have done the best you can in order to increase the likelihood of it!
- Begin with faithfully doing whatever you’ve already been given to do… in order to discover the next thing to do… in order to do that… in order to discover the bigger-picture calling… in order to dream big… in order to start small… in order to have the necessary beginning… in order to take the next steps to grow whatever it is… in order to recruit any needed help and support… in order to nurture and scale… in order to make the vision a reality.
–“’Do not despise the day of small beginnings’”—Zech. 4:10
–Just make sure: A) the vision is from the Lord; B) each step comes from Him; C) you’re doing it all HIS way. Otherwise it will just become a house of cards, disappointing you and everyone else in the end.
Try this with anything in life– Start doing any project that involves a number of steps and see how many “in order to”s you can do along the way to complete it!
The “in order to”s aren’t just a waste of time or an ordeal to get through so you can get the finished product. Each one carries its own significance and reward.
For example, even if your career or team or children don’t turn out exactly as planned, you will still retain the eternal benefit of good character and skills. And even if your vision doesn’t come to fruition exactly the way you pictured it, if you’ve pursued it in His strength for His glory, you will achieve the best results, according to HIS plan.
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do and He will establish your plans.” Prov. 16:3 Keeping in mind that–
“The heart of [people] plan [their] way, but the Lord establishes [their] steps.” Prov. 16:9
You’ll be delighted at how much you accomplish! Enjoy the fruits, or bread, or other good of your labor— without having to swallow a bunch of animals—unless, of course, you’re “hungry enough to eat a horse”!
Leave a Reply