Just Do It!
A famous shoe company used the phrase “Just Do It!” as their slogan a few years ago. I thought about this slogan earlier today when I read Dave Black’s essay “Ride That Horse!” Dave says that constantly discussing Christianity without putting it into practice is like reading a book about horses, but never riding a horse. Consider this paragraph:
This is a day when we are so incredibly busy discussing and disagreeing and interpreting and debating that we never do anything for the kingdom. It’s so easy to spend all our time listening to lectures or reading books on the Christian life – homeschooling versus government education, elder-led versus elder-rule polity, age-integrated versus age-segregated church – that we never do any real service for the Lord. Discussing has become a substitute for doing and we have failed to do those good works that God planned for us to do before the creation of the world.
I confess that I have fallen into this trap before. I love to discuss theology, especially ecclesiology. I love to discuss Scripture. But, recently I have been convicted of exactly what Dave is talking about here. While it is good to discuss and learn, we must be put into practice what we learn!
One of the things that I have specifically attempted to do in the last few months is to truly live what I believe about the church. I have noticed many times recently that people have disagreed with my view of the church, and have argued with me in order to convince me that their view is correct, but, all the while, they were not living out their own view of the church. Perhaps my view is faulty in places (and, I’m sure it is), but by God’s power and grace I am trying to live what I believe.
For example, I now put much more emphasis on people instead of an organization. I also spend much more time discipling people than I spend making organizational decisions. I also try to encourage other believers when I’m with them, and I try to give them an opportunity to encourage me and others.
What about you? Are you riding the horse, or only reading the book? Are you only discussing the church, or are you also living as the church?
Alan-
You do know how to us between the eyes! Actually, the Holy Spirit has been impressing me more and more with the need to “walk the talk.” I love to read the blogs (sometimes more than I read God’s Word, I’m afraid), and love to read the books, but that’s all just talk unless I walk it each day.
I am ashamed to say that God’s given me a list of people to encourage, and I haven’t always been obedient to do that. It’s so much easier to just open a book.
Thank you for reminding me.
Kat
Alan-
You do know how to us between the eyes! Actually, the Holy Spirit has been impressing me more and more with the need to “walk the talk.” I love to read the blogs (sometimes more than I read God’s Word, I’m afraid), and love to read the books, but that’s all just talk unless I walk it each day.
I am ashamed to say that God’s given me a list of people to encourage, and I haven’t always been obedient to do that. It’s so much easier to just open a book.
Thank you for reminding me.
Kat
Alan-
You do know how to us between the eyes! Actually, the Holy Spirit has been impressing me more and more with the need to “walk the talk.” I love to read the blogs (sometimes more than I read God’s Word, I’m afraid), and love to read the books, but that’s all just talk unless I walk it each day.
I am ashamed to say that God’s given me a list of people to encourage, and I haven’t always been obedient to do that. It’s so much easier to just open a book.
Thank you for reminding me.
Kat
Alan-
You do know how to us between the eyes! Actually, the Holy Spirit has been impressing me more and more with the need to “walk the talk.” I love to read the blogs (sometimes more than I read God’s Word, I’m afraid), and love to read the books, but that’s all just talk unless I walk it each day.
I am ashamed to say that God’s given me a list of people to encourage, and I haven’t always been obedient to do that. It’s so much easier to just open a book.
Thank you for reminding me.
Kat
Alan-
You do know how to us between the eyes! Actually, the Holy Spirit has been impressing me more and more with the need to “walk the talk.” I love to read the blogs (sometimes more than I read God’s Word, I’m afraid), and love to read the books, but that’s all just talk unless I walk it each day.
I am ashamed to say that God’s given me a list of people to encourage, and I haven’t always been obedient to do that. It’s so much easier to just open a book.
Thank you for reminding me.
Kat
Alan-
You do know how to us between the eyes! Actually, the Holy Spirit has been impressing me more and more with the need to “walk the talk.” I love to read the blogs (sometimes more than I read God’s Word, I’m afraid), and love to read the books, but that’s all just talk unless I walk it each day.
I am ashamed to say that God’s given me a list of people to encourage, and I haven’t always been obedient to do that. It’s so much easier to just open a book.
Thank you for reminding me.
Kat
Alan-
You do know how to us between the eyes! Actually, the Holy Spirit has been impressing me more and more with the need to “walk the talk.” I love to read the blogs (sometimes more than I read God’s Word, I’m afraid), and love to read the books, but that’s all just talk unless I walk it each day.
I am ashamed to say that God’s given me a list of people to encourage, and I haven’t always been obedient to do that. It’s so much easier to just open a book.
Thank you for reminding me.
Kat
Alan-
You do know how to us between the eyes! Actually, the Holy Spirit has been impressing me more and more with the need to “walk the talk.” I love to read the blogs (sometimes more than I read God’s Word, I’m afraid), and love to read the books, but that’s all just talk unless I walk it each day.
I am ashamed to say that God’s given me a list of people to encourage, and I haven’t always been obedient to do that. It’s so much easier to just open a book.
Thank you for reminding me.
Kat
Alan,
You are right on with this one. Ouch! You are reminding me about James and what he had to say about faith and works.
On a related topic, when we were in South Asia I was encouraged to see many of the national Christians there living out their faith even though they did not know much of the Bible beyond the basics of the gospel. Many there would have absolutely no clue about something like an elder-rule versus congregational-rule discussion. However, they did, for the most part, know how to feed their brother in need.
Eric
Kat,
God has convicted me about encouraging a few people too. I’ll pray for your obedience and you pray for mine.
Eric,
Your comment really convicted me. I think you could write a great blog post from that thought. On the opposite side, I know much about the Bible and can argue both sides of the elder debate… but do I live out my faith and know how to feed a brother in need? I know which one God is more concerned with.
-Alan
Alan,
This post pretty much sums up exactly how I have been feeling. One of my major problems is that somehow I have convinced myself that I would serve if I had the opportunity but there is no opportunity. This is obviously a ridiculous justification, but it is none-the-less what I tell myself on a regular basis. I think the problem is that it is easy to pick up a book or read a blog, but you have to be much more intentional about serving others.
Thanks.
-Dan
Dan,
You said: “I think the problem is that it is easy to pick up a book or read a blog, but you have to be much more intentional about serving others.” This is often the problem in my life as well. Thank you for the comment.
-Alan