Just Do It!
Can we over-expect regarding God’s purpose(s) in our lives? You have no doubt heard a lot of preaching and teaching on how we all have a purpose. “God has a plan for you” is a common slogan today. The teacher or preacher will usually point us to a number of passages, like Jeremiah 29:11, where God says, “I have a plan for you....” To be sure, there are several places in the Bible where God specified a plan for an individual or for entire nations. But we need to be careful not to automatically apply a given verse for our individual desires today.
There’s a story of a Christian man who had been praying fervently for God’s “purpose” in his life. He was about to resign himself to the fact that God just didn’t have a specific plan or maybe God was not even listening. Finally, one day as he walked to the bus stop on his way to work, he pleaded, “Lord, I just don’t know exactly what you would have me to do! I want to be your faithful steward. If you would only give me a sign today!” In his depressed state he loaded onto the bus and walked to the back and sat down. He exchanged greetings with the man sitting next to him. The man started talking about what a bummer life is and how he had been told there was a good God out there somewhere, but he hasn’t seen him yet. The Christian man then started fidgeting around, cleared his throat, looked up, and said to God, “Lord, is this it?! Is this the sign?! Could you give me a little more confirmation?”
Well, you get the point. Both of these men had failed to see that “signs” and “plans” were all around them. They were wanting to force God to provide something very specific, but they were “too close to the forest to see the trees.” The truth is that God’s plan for all of us is very “general” by our definitions. Check out Micah 6:8, for example:
“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Or, here’s a good one from James 4: 13-17. Read these few verses and notice the conclusion:
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
Indeed, there are many plans available for us to choose from. Step back away from the forest far enough to see all the trees. See each tree as a potential opportunity. Make a rule for yourself that you will not make excuses anymore as to why it’s not a good time to approach a person with a smile and a word of encouragement. Opportunities are all around us every moment of the day. Train yourself to see them. And when you do, as James has said:
Just do it!
More Articles Coming Soon
Can we over-expect regarding God’s purpose(s) in our lives? You have no doubt heard a lot of preaching and teaching on how we all have a purpose. “God has a plan for you” is a common slogan today. The teacher or preacher will usually point us to a number of passages, like Jeremiah 29:11, where God says, “I have a plan for you....” To be sure, there are several places in the Bible where God specified a plan for an individual or for entire nations. But we need to be careful not to automatically apply a given verse for our individual desires today.
There’s a story of a Christian man who had been praying fervently for God’s “purpose” in his life. He was about to resign himself to the fact that God just didn’t have a specific plan or maybe God was not even listening. Finally, one day as he walked to the bus stop on his way to work, he pleaded, “Lord, I just don’t know exactly what you would have me to do! I want to be your faithful steward. If you would only give me a sign today!” In his depressed state he loaded onto the bus and walked to the back and sat down. He exchanged greetings with the man sitting next to him. The man started talking about what a bummer life is and how he had been told there was a good God out there somewhere, but he hasn’t seen him yet. The Christian man then started fidgeting around, cleared his throat, looked up, and said to God, “Lord, is this it?! Is this the sign?! Could you give me a little more confirmation?”
Well, you get the point. Both of these men had failed to see that “signs” and “plans” were all around them. They were wanting to force God to provide something very specific, but they were “too close to the forest to see the trees.” The truth is that God’s plan for all of us is very “general” by our definitions. Check out Micah 6:8, for example:
“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Or, here’s a good one from James 4: 13-17. Read these few verses and notice the conclusion:
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
Indeed, there are many plans available for us to choose from. Step back away from the forest far enough to see all the trees. See each tree as a potential opportunity. Make a rule for yourself that you will not make excuses anymore as to why it’s not a good time to approach a person with a smile and a word of encouragement. Opportunities are all around us every moment of the day. Train yourself to see them. And when you do, as James has said:
Just do it!
More Articles Coming Soon