What Can You Expect When You Launch?

I hope that you are not getting tired of the conversation of launching. It is something that represents where I am currently. When you commit to launching something, it will often give you much experience to draw from. At this point, I want to share with you some thoughts that I had about things that you can often expect when you decide to launch.

First, I’d like to present Nehemiah as a representative of one outcome that you can expect when you launch. When Nehemiah was impressed upon the Lord to take up the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he went with the backing and permission of the foreign king that he served as a cupbearer. However, Nehemiah’s venture faced opposition from his own people. Those people were fearful. Instead of being excited to see restoration come to their homeland, they chose to fight and resist the effort.

There are often times when your desire to launch will not be met with enthusiasm. There are times when your efforts will be met by resistance and opposition like Nehemiah. Nehemiah’s response to the opposition was not to quit but to forge ahead with a plan that would continue the project, as well as establish a defense against those who wanted to sabotage the progress. This two-pronged effort set him up for the success and completion of the project. You too should have a plan that will help secure your progress when you have people who oppose your effort to launch.

Another thing you might find disheartening is the people around you that doubt your vision. Allow me for a moment to stretch this comparison. When God spoke to Noah to build an ark, part of his hope was to convince some to join him. While God had already told Noah that he and his family would be the only ones to enter the ark, Noah evangelized the message that rain was coming, in hope that someone might repent and find safety. None were compelled by Noah’s message. They could not see his vision. Many laughed and mocked him. All were regretful when the rain finally came.

Like Noah, you may find that there are people who do not see your vision. Perhaps you are a pioneer or innovative person who has a vision for something that has never been tried before. Perhaps God gave you a dream or vision to write a book, start a business, change your career path, or something like that. Are there people near you who just can’t see what you see? Your Job is not to quit or become discouraged. Your job is to keep your focus and remain persistent as you commit to everything that God said you should do. There is a reward for your follow-through.

Finally, I want to present this one thing that I believe everyone faces when they launch something. One day, Jesus commanded the disciples to launch out in a ship to travel across a lake. Jesus entered the ship and proceeded to take a nap. As he was resting below, a storm arose that caused great fear among the disciples (Matthew 8:28-9:1, Luke 8:22-25). This one is more about you than those around you. Although, you can have people working with you who might feel this way too.

There are times when you launch something, that a storm will arise. That storm could be any number of things that you did not anticipate when you launched. It could be expenses; it could be overwhelming support that you may not have had the capacity to handle at the moment you launched. Whatever the storm, it is the thing that can cause you to become fearful. The thing you need to remember is that you have Jesus with you.

You could still feel some kind of way like he is absent or unaware of how great the issue is that you face. Yet, you can rest assured that our God is a God that does not sleep or slumber. He is always present and able to get us through the storms. We simply must remember that if God called us to launch, it’s His intention to see us through to the other side.

This year, if you have been called to launch into something, have faith that God intends to see you through. Be assured that if you plan for those who might oppose you, you will complete the task. Know that if others won’t join you, it’s not your problem and should not deter you from your task. They will see the results of their resistance after the fact. Simply launch and watch God move!