Just Do It

The popular company Nike has been telling society to "Just Do It" for as long as I can remember. Everyone from celebrities who officially endorse their products to the self-proclaimed Nike sponsored Jones family (it's just our favorite-we can't help it!) has worn something emblazoned with this famous slogan on it. We buy into its meaning too. There are people all over the world accomplishing great feats because they've "just done it," giving all their effort and energy and losing all fear to tackle the brave task ahead whatever it may be. Look at the news. We see people who lose 200 lbs through lots of discipline and effort, see men and women climbing Everest, see a fabulous lady finishing a marathon at age 91, and see doctors changing the face of medicine all the time. As a general rule, we are a "go get 'em" nation. The majority of people are not at all afraid of "just doing it" and putting forth serious effort to get there. There's nothing wrong with any of those things, but do we put the same effort into following God's commands? 

Last week in Sunday school we studied James 1: 22-25-- But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (James 1:22-25 NLT). I don't know if you're thinking what I'm thinking, but, loosely translated, I hear: Just Do It. 

God has given us His Word as a guidebook to life. We've got the answers to the big test, the recipe to the best Chocolate Chip Ooey Gooey Paula Deen cake out there, and the playbook for the other team. We can't say we don't know what to do. We just have to do it. Do we see people fulfilling God's commands and doing God's work by bringing others to Him as often as we hear about the mountain scalers and the marathon runners? Nope. Please understand that these verses hit me dead in the face, so I write more to hold myself accountable than anyone else, but wow. That statistic is staggering to me.  

If my gut-honest priorities were put on display, I'm not sure following God's Word's commands would be at the top where they should be. I'm not afraid of effort, but where is all my effort concentrated? So many times, I read God's Word and can find tons of people around me that I think "should so read this verse because they do NOT apply what it says!" Hello, Speck of Sawdust, meet Plank of Wood. (Matt.7:3) I am beyond guilty of reading the instructions and knowing what to do where my walk with God is concerned and then not applying that knowledge when it's time to act. Having hobbies like running marathons and making wonderful medical discoveries are awesome accomplishments, but if God isn't involved, and we're not doing those things for His glory, what's the point? That would be like knowing a recipe calls for 3 eggs and a baking time of 30 minutes, but you put 1 egg in and keep it in the oven for only 5 minutes. Sure, you did some of the work on the front end. You sort of prepared a cake, but you didn't finish the job. {Notice we never cook healthy things in these analogies. Why? Because I believe that sweets are God's chosen food group.} Now, your unfinished cake isn't what it was called to be. It can't serve any purpose. The same goes for us if we allow all the things of this life to take our effort but we leave God and His Word out of it. 

Like I said, I am just as guilty of this as anyone else. I challenge you today to join me in praying for God to reveal to you what you need to "finish the job in." What in your life is taking your effort but lacking in fulfilling God's commands and not giving Him the glory He deserves? I've got quite the list worked up, but, Praise The Lord, God is forever faithful and never gives up on us. Nehemiah 9:17-18 says, "...But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, even when they made an idol shaped like a calf.." God's people continually disobeyed Him, but He remained not only merciful but He still loved them unconditionally. We may not be making calf idols in the backyard, but I'm pretty sure we disobey God's commands daily. I do anyway.. 

What a blessing to be able to sit back and rest in the arms of One who loves us no matter how many times we fail Him. This week I'm going to focus on not just reading God's Word but claiming it and applying it. Remember, we've got all the know-how, now "Just Do It."