Red Tape

I got an opportunity yesterday while visiting a long-time customer to be reminded of all the good we have been able to accomplish at our Zoomautos.com business these last five years.  We founded Zoom because we discovered that our previous bosses were intent on placing too much red tape between us and our paychecks.  The more we fought to get through the red tape, the more they fought to get better and stronger red tape.  Eventually, every single person in America that worked for Goliath in the print division got wiped out by the red tape.   4,000 people became jobless!  My heart still aches for those that were displaced.

Red tape comes from two sources, good and evil.  God sometimes places red tape in front of us to give us the opportunity to grow, while evil uses red tape to make us feel helpless.  If you can find the source of the red tape in your life, it can help you to keep hope alive.  For example, when the obstacles in your life are forcing you to develop your gifts, they are probably placed there by your Creator.  My company exists today because the Holy Spirit wanted my business partners to get out of our comfort zones.  For us, the obstacles turned out to be a good thing.  Had we just gone with the flow, we would have eventually ended up unemployed.  God used the red tape to stretch us and shape us... now we are living the American dream.

Even though red tape may sometimes lead to a positive result, I have a hard time with it.  Instead of immediately rebelling, I find myself asking the Holy Spirit why an obstacle is in front of me.  I must recognize that God's will for my life will prevail as long as I trust Him to show me how barriers are to be overcome according to His timing, not mine.  He wants us to learn obedience, patience and resourcefulness.  He also wants us to learn to become dependent on Him for everything we need to get through the red tape of life.

God has big plans for you.  As each day passes, I become more encouraged, I see the connections that all of us have with one another.  Some obstacles, by design, are just too big for one person to handle alone.  Do not be afraid to connect with others to get rid of the red tape you face in your life.  A house divided cannot stand...a house united can overcome any obstacle.  Let's get connected.