Result versus Reward
I am a continuous improvement professional by trade and a born again believer by choice. I have come to understand that the old adage “It is all about the process” is as true in life as it is in business or sports or anything else we set our hands, minds and focus on. Far too often we place the emphasis on the end result or reward, missing the true learning, which is the actual golden nugget for growth and change for the better.
How many of you remember as a child this scenario. Mom is cooking in the kitchen and you come waddling in to see what is going on. As you approach the stove, mom says “be careful the stove is hot, it will burn you”! No matter how many times she said it, your curiosity about the fire did not change until that one day mom turned her back and you reached up and touched the stove. The pain and agony that ensued along with the crying and screaming brought to full bear the process of learning what HOT actually meant!.
The result of your actions were the burned hand and excruciating pain, but the process of learning is what has kept you from losing both hands today. Though it was painful, through the process you learned a valuable lesson. Think about this example in other areas of your life. Dating and choosing a mate. Completing that aweful homework assignment. Disciplining your child for breaking the house rules and sneaking out late at night. Making a hard decision about an employee at work that violated a company policy.
Learnings
I could go on and on with situations to discuss, but what if you were only focused on the result? In finding a mate, what if it was simply about getting married ASAP, how long would that last? In college, what if you were simply concerned with getting the assignment finished, and you plagiarize the assignment using someone else’s work? What if your goal for your children is simply getting them to 18 and out of the house, with no concern for their conduct? Finally, what if your goal for your business is simply to have happy employees, so you say nothing to those who ignore policy.
Hopefully you see the point, all of the above are learning opportunities and if we ignore the process, our chances of getting better or growing are slim at best. A desirable end result is never easy and the process for getting there will be riddled with learning experiences. Enjoy the journey, and embrace the pain. It is there that we grow, and it is there that we learn.
Your designer is about the process!
We don’t have to read far into the word of God to understand that God is about process. All of creation was a process. The first marriage was a process, and basically all of human history is about the process of redemption and hope. Even if you are a non-believer, we can agree it is a process. How many times have we heard, “the process of evolution”? I am a firm believer in a designer God, and that everything we see today declares His handiwork.
As a believer I can point to many doctrines that are process. Sanctification is the first, yes there is positional sanctification (being set apart), that happens instantly. However, there is practical sanctification that takes place thru the remainder of our life. God is still working the me out of me, making me into an image bearer of His Son, Jesus. Secondly there is marriage. In marriage we understand that the “two shall become one”. Paul calls it a great mystery, but ultimately we are part of a life long learning to becoming one. Marriage is a mirror or picture of the church, and it is a representation of Trinity. A blending of physical, emotional and spiritual. I have been married for 37 years, and as of today we have not figured it out yet.
Conclusion
I don’t believe we will ever know all the answers this side of heaven, but what I do know is that we can find the answers in the process. A great learning for me was early on in my Christian growth when a pastor friend of mine was helping me through a problem in my life. Seemed I was being singled out, I had been in the mess for quite some time. I was tired of going around that mountain and wanted to simply get to the other side of it.
This Godly friend of mine spoke encouragement to me in love. He said all I have heard you talking about is why, why is happening to me? Why is God allowing this? You are focusing too much on the end. What you need to be asking is this; God what are you trying to teach me through this? Results focus brings on the why! Process focus enables the What. What can I learn from this and use it to move forward.
My perspective and my life began to change, once I had learned the lesson God had for me, I saw things differently and He began to move me out of that chapter of my life. What are you struggling with today? How can you change your focus from results or reward to process thinking? In that change will be growth and maturity in life, love and business.
Thanks for playing along, remember all of life is ministry
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