Just Do Something

One of my favorite stories in the book of Acts describes Paul floundering around "trying to find the will of God for his life" ... sounds like us post-moderns, doesn't it? You would think if anyone could know the will of God for his life, it would be the apostle Paul! After all, he was God's instrument for writing the majority of the New Testament. Paul's unique place in the Christian faith makes him the equivalent of a spiritual superhero. Yet what we find is that Paul was as uncertain about which way to go as most of us are in our life journeys.

In Acts 16:6-10, Luke described his travels with Paul. He told us how under Paul's leadership it was necessary for the Holy Spirit to keep them from preaching the Word in the province of Asia and then how the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to go into Bithynia, though they gave it their best effort. It was only while Paul was sleeping that he received a vision that he was supposed to go into Macedonia. In many ways Luke's travel journal reads like a divine comedy. It tells us that Paul basically had no idea where he was supposed to be going. At first he was sure that Asia was the right direction, only to later be redirected to Bithynia. And only when he was unconscious did he finally realize the destination was Macedonia! It took the entire Trinity to keep Paul from ending up in the wrong place. And the most amazing part is that when the apostle Paul was conscious he just didn't seem to get it. This is Paul I'm talking about people!!! He's arguably the most Godly man to have ever trod the planet.

There is, of course, much irony that Paul had to be unconscious for God to speak to him. But the point is this: Paul didn't know where he was going, but he did know why! His compass was the heart of God. He was fueled and driven by the passion and urgency that God had placed in his heart -- to take the life and freedom that comes from Jesus Christ to every person on the face of the earth. What God makes clear is that when we're committed to seizing His divine moments, He'll make sure He gets us to the right place at the right time. What God can do through a person who's willing to act is limitless.

One of the most asked questions among sincere followers of Jesus Christ is, "What is God's will for my life?" We want a detailed road map or travel plan. We want God to spell it out so that we can simply follow the instructions. Too often we want it clear and uncomplicated, but God seldom works like that. For most of us the most spiritual thing we can do is to do something. We must move beyond simply choosing between right and wrong. We must resolve to not only leave the path of doing evil, but also to passionately pursue a life of doing good. The danger is getting stuck in between the two, living our lives in the neutral zone. We must move beyond just having nothing to be ashamed of to being ashamed if we do nothing. It is rarely counted as evil when we live in neutral. At worst a passive life is only pitied, but God counts it as a tragedy when we choose to simply watch as our lives go by, rather than to live them to the fullest. It was no less than Jesus who described as wicked the person who left his talent unused. When we fail to choose, we choose to fail. We cannot put our lives on hold ... they move forward with or without our consent. Choosing not to choose does not, in fact, put off the problem; it only exacerbates it.

God designed us to move through time with intentionality [as He does]. Even waiting on God is a proactive activity [as Erik Braun so forcefully told us this past Sunday]. Whether it's reflection or revolution, each moment deserves our creative engagement. The apostle Paul, himself, told us that insomuch as it is in our power to do good, we should do it. This may be the underlying texture of initiative. Some call it productivity. The Gallup organization describes it as the "drive to execute." In the end it doesn't really matter so much what we call it; it only matters if we do it. "Do what?" Something!