Originally published Thursday, 09 January 2014.
I’m seeing that the Christian life is NOT a life of passivity but a life of choices empowered by the Holy Spirit. - My prayer journal, May 13, 2010
The Christian life is not one marked by passivity, but instead, it requires that we step out in faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to do whatever it is Jesus calls us to.
Following Jesus means that we get off the couch and do something. [tweet that]
When I first became a Christian, (only about a year before I was called on my crazy journey with Anthony) I was under the impression that Christianity should be characterized more by a “let go and let God” theology than one that requires action. But, when Jesus called me to love and forgive the very man who murdered my dad, this paradigm was shattered.
I was presented with commands.
Forgive.
Love your enemy.
How could I forgive if I remained passive in my faith?
How could I love my enemy without doing something? Loving my enemy seemed more like a call to action than an emotional feeling I’d be able to contrive.
While preaching the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us “whoever does [these commandments] and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19b).
And what are some of Jesus’ commandments?
He tells us to love God above all things.
He tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourself.
He tells us to care for the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, the poor.
He tells us to meet the needs of those around us.
He tells us to love, to forgive, to honor one another, to pray, and to trust.
And He tells us to share the good news of the Gospel.
Yet, none of these can be done passively. They all require action.
There are so many people who wonder through life, not knowing what they’re called to do. But it’s all right there. The Bible tells us what we’re called to do.
God’s Word calls us to faith in action. It calls us to be the hands and feet in this broken world. It calls us love, love, love. Because after all, that’s what it all comes down to. The whole of God’s commandments can be summed up in two simple commands. Love God. Love others.
That’s it.
That’s your calling.
Now, what that looks like will be different for each of us, but the call is the same. And the call is one that requires action.
How might we be different if we stopped keeping God at arms distance, received His love, and loved Him with all that we had?
What would our world look like if more Christians took hold of the power that’s already given to them and began to act on God’s commands?
How many hearts would be healed if we began to forgive and love one another, and I mean really love one another?
How might the level of stress we all experience go down if we began to bear one another’s burdens? If we began to live like those in the early church did?
Faith is a verb. Not a noun. It’s an action word, not a thing you have. Our faith should move us toward Jesus, who is beaconing each of us, come follow me.
And as He does, so do we.
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. – John 14:21
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