Detail people. We all know them. They are the people who think in terms of who, what, when, and how. They need to dot every I and cross every T. They are all about the nuts and bolts, and the plans and procedures. These are the people who wouldn’t dream of putting something together without first reading the instructions.
I am not a detail person. I think in big pictures and broad brush strokes. I process things in terms of concepts, principles, and rules of thumb. I can easily get bogged down and bored with details.
When you’re not a detail person, Numbers chapters 1-4 can leave you feeling flat and unfulfilled. These chapters are full of…
-
How many?
-
Where do they go?
-
What is the procedure?
-
Who does what?
As I read these first four chapters of Numbers, I tried to stay open to what God might be trying to say to this big-picture person. Through all these recorded details, I began to see my need to be more balanced. Yes, I’m a big picture person, but I need to pay more attention to details. After all, the big picture is made up of the little details.
God is perfect, complete, and balanced. He is a God of the structure, as well as a God of the spectacular. As I grow more into His likeness, I need to pay more attention to the structure of things…in both my personal and professional life. The idea of structuring for success began with God, not some business management guru.
If you’re a detail person, use that God-given tendency to manage things for God’s glory. And if you’re not a detail person, lean into the details more and learn to see God there.
Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.