Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. – John 2:5
While preparing to teach a course in accident and emergency procedures to a group of prospective school bus drivers, I came across the following cryptic words, found in material put out by the State Department of Education.
You [the driver] must know:
This made me think of another well-known slogan regarding “doing,” which was circulated by a large marketer of sports apparel: “Just do it!”
In our Christian walk, there are some things we automatically know we should do. Everyone needs to be saved and go on to live for the Lord. But as we continue our daily walk with Him, there are many times when we are not certain how to proceed. We want to witness to others about the Lord, but we are not sure just when the right time is, or how to go about it. We are considering changing jobs or moving to a different house or apartment, but we aren’t sure if this is the Lord’s will. We have grown fond of a particular individual, but we want to be sure that this is the life companion God has for us. The list is as long as our personal lives are varied.
We need to seek the Lord for guidance regarding what, how, and when to act. Sometimes we have to wait upon the Lord until He reveals to us His plan. Waiting may be a test of our patience, but that is not a bad thing in itself. When the answer does come, we can be sure that it will be a good, clean, proper way. Nothing about it will violate the Bible in any way. And our godly acquaintances—those in whom we have the most spiritual confidence—will likewise feel good about the plan.
When we know what God wants us to do, it is time to invoke the second of our two slogans: Just do it! Does it seem a little scary? Just do it. Does it mean stepping out of our comfort zone? Just do it.
How many times in my life have I found myself praying, “Lord, if you will show me what to do, then I will do it”? If I really mean this, and continue looking to Him, the answer always comes—in God’s time. Then the burden is on me. Will I follow through by “doing it?” May God help all of us to say to this question a hearty, “Amen!”