IT'S NOT A GROUP PROJECT!

Everyone has heard the dreaded announcement from a teacher or boss: "we’re doing a group project". Even worse, the groups are assigned, and you cannot pick your partners. Students or employees everywhere sigh, knowing that they’ll have to deal with unequal group dynamics and frustration for at least the next week. The script is almost always the same: one person (or two) will not pull their weight or show up to any group meetings, pressuring the rest of the group to pick up the slack and finish the project. The slacker(s) shows up at the last minute for the presentation and swoops in to take credit. 

Maybe you haven’t experienced this particular situation, but are familiar with it in another setting. Someone promises to do their part, they don’t follow through, forcing you to do your part along with theirs. It’s common, frustrating and disappointing, especially when you already have a lot on your plate and don’t have the room to take on anything extra. After enough times, you may start to anticipate people just not doing what they promised you. You “pick up the slack” before anyone even has the chance to let you down, causing you to take on more than you can bear. Have you ever noticed we tend to treat God the same way? 

Think about the last time you needed God to do something, but things didn’t immediately sort out the way you thought they would. Think about the last time you felt God was silent, and fear and doubt filled your mind. He seemingly drops the ball and we scramble and panic, trying to get everything together to control the outcome. Just like the group project, we try to pick up God’s part.  Like Abram and Sarai did. However, we often forget that God is not like us. In Isaiah 55:8, God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” God will never disappoint us, and He never goes back on His promises. Numbers 23:19 says "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" We can’t hold God to human standards, "assisting" Him for what we need because we’re afraid of Him letting us down. 

When we do this, we don’t allow God to be God in our lives and we make a mess of things. It's easy to get caught up in the rhythm of our lives, get stressed out and worry. When we get into this mindset, we’re constantly trying to pick up perceived slack ourselves and still run behind because we cannot do God’s job for Him.  Some of us live life like it's a group project. But it's not! God doesn't need our "help" to get anything done. There's no slack to pick up because there's no slack in Him! So, we can actually relax and let Him organize, plan and structure how things should go! Learn to let go and put the group project mentality down. 

~Nia L. Roberts