Just Take the Next Step

At the end of every podcast, we like to ask our guests to share what God has been teaching them in this season of life. This week’s guest is Mark McClain. As CEO of SailPoint, Mark brings to bear over 20 years of experience developing and leading innovative technology companies.

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

I've sort of been camped out for I don't know, three years now, I guess to the old King James version of Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and light into my path. And the reason I think that's such a critical concept, particularly here in the West. I don't think that was true around the world. We are big on long-range planning and vision at where we're heading over a long period.

And I always like to say, you know, we don't articulate it, but we really want God to say in that passages, you know, your word is a searchlight that shines far down the path and shows me where I'm going years and years.

And it says, no, your word is the light to my feet. Right. It says, I'm going to get to see the next step or maybe to write that God's unfolding before me. And sure, I am forced to make plans and think ahead as part of stewardship. Right. I have to think that way about my personal life, about our company, about the people that God entrusted to me, my children, my wife. 

But more and more, again, as I have gotten older and hopefully a little wiser, I really have learned that that's what it means to walk by faith. Right. You are walking a step or two at a time. And when we try to get out ahead of God and look too far around the corner, I think we end up being regretful about that. We're not designed to be looking too far ahead, we're designed to be kind of holding God's hand, walking a day or a step or two at a time. And that's what trust and faith are really all about. 

You know, people say, what's your long play? I don't really know. But I'm enjoying this journey. And I do see a few steps ahead of what probably are likely steps, but I don't really know what five or 10 or 20 years of life looks like. I don't know if I'm going to be here in five or 10 or 20 minutes. So why would I spend a lot of time thinking about So that's a powerful concept for me. That simple little passage about, you know, the word and therefore God's presence in this moment.