A few years ago I left a law firm and went into solo practice. It was a huge move for me. I had worked for someone else and had a regular paycheck since I had been in high school. I learned many lessons from that experience. Pastor T told us last week that we are all like pieces in a bucket, all useful. I have found that God likes to give the bucket a good shake every once in a while.
1. You can be replaced. I was handling the biggest cases and the toughest files at the firm. But it didn’t take them long to reassign them. I like to think the clients did not get the same high quality legal representation that I was providing, but who knows. We can get so comfortable in our lives that we think those around us can’t get along without us. Not so. We worry about what will happen to our family if we die. They will miss us, but they will be fine. We are not the only person who can fill our roles. God has us in important roles, but He is the ultimate source. We get so used to relying on certain parts, we often forget what’s in the bucket.
2. Your security is in the Lord. An ancillary to lesson number one is that your security is in the Lord. I had been drawing a paycheck for so many years that I looked to my employer for security. The Lord quickly stepped up in my new solo practice and has provided for all my needs ever since. I much prefer this situation, working for Jesus, than I did working for “the man.” God has the bucket in His hands. Shaking or rattling or rolling, He is still in control.
3. You will be surprised who your friends are. When I left the firm I was “certain” as to which clients would come with me and who would support me. I turned out to be wrong in many instances. The main business person who stood with me was a surprise and became a life long friend. A friend stands with you when there is nothing to be gained and the possibility of loss is real. When the bucket gets shaken, real friends are identified.
4. New assets are revealed. When I left the firm, assets that I didn’t realize I had became clear. When the bucket is shaken up, some valuable pieces, hidden under others perhaps, are noticed and have a chance to shine. The bucket hold hidden treasures that can replace parts that you didn’t even realize were worn and in need of replacement.
5. Your path becomes clearer. It became clear when I left the firm what kind of clients I should focus on and what kind of practice I should have. When God shakes up your bucket, he can jolt you into new dreams, new visions, new possibilites and new blessings. A shaken bucket shows its contents in new and unexpected ways.
If you feel your bucket shaking, be blessed, God is doing something good. What else would He be doing?
Nick
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