Which category do you fit into?
Most people fall into one of two categories when it comes to how they plan and learn:
- I want to see the forest before I can see the trees!
(in other words, I need to see the big picture before you can start giving me little details)
or
- I want to see all the trees before I see the forest!
(I need to know how all the details are going to work before I can get the big picture)
Me, personally? I’m 100% the first one.
If I can see the end game, the final purpose, or the desired result for something, then I don’t really get caught up in the details.
In a gospel setting, my style of planning works GREAT sometimes!
Focusing on major doctrines instead gives me peace.
But I’ve learned that my style does NOT work with the way many of us receive personal revelation – “line upon line”.
Line upon line?!
Show me the whole book first and then I’ll figure out the lines!
But I love Peter’s example in Acts 10-11.
Peter has a big, kind of confusing vision.
While he is pondering about the meaning, he gets the inspiration:
3 men are here to meet him. He should go with them and not doubt anything.
“Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing”. (Acts 10:20)
Those are VERY SMALL TREE details, with no big vision of the FOREST.
But Peter’s FAITH is unshakable.
No questions or doubts.
And when he is brought to Cornelius, he slowly gains more details.
And then he has to listen to the Spirit even more before starting to piece together the meaning of the vision.
Eventually, he figures it out and teaches and converts the first group of non-Jews.
What an example to me!
Even though I PREFER to see the big picture first, my life has been (and continues to be!) a huge lesson that I can actually fully TRUST my Father in Heaven, more than any earthly leader.
He will not lead me astray.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
