‘God is in control’, ‘God has got me covered’, ‘God is good all the time’, ‘I trust God’…
I had a conversation with someone a while ago and we were talking about some pertinent issues in her life that needed to be addressed immediately. I’m a practical and step-by-step kind of person – where there is an issue I like to find out what practical, day-to-day things can be done to address the situation rather than only talking about it – So when talking to this person, I tried to suggest some very practical things that could be done towards solving that issue. While I was trying to do that, all I got in response were the statements like those above; ‘God is in control’, ‘God is good’, ‘God is faithful’.
Yep! He sure is! But…
Sometimes we Christians use such statements as a camouflage, to hide from or evade the things that we really need to be doing. We try to avoid the facts and not face them and turn situations into religious affairs. However, the faith we profess as Christians is an ACTION driven one! As much as it is absolutely great and important to declare such words to ourselves, it cannot end there! We have to get up and do something about it if we want to see a change! The words we speak and declare need to be backed up by appropriate and necessary actions. For example, if I am trying to find a job and I keep declaring to myself ‘God is good’, ‘God is great’ – which He is for sure! – but I never take an action to send out CVs, I would really be narrowing down my chances of finding that job and setting the odds against myself.
So how do we really handle problems/issues we have as Christians? Together with keeping the faith and declaring those words of faith, we should do practical things as well to tackle them head-on. Here are some tips that can help us be more practical and action-driven;
Make a plan.
Don’t just talk about it! Make an active, step-by-step plan on how to handle the issue at hand. You can get help from someone you trust by sharing the plan with them and asking them to keep you accountable to it. If you have a problem with not being able to save money, for example, you can ask someone trustworthy to take a percentage of your income every month from you and help you save it. That way you really have a real and practical way to overcome the issue rather than just saying ‘I’m praying about it and asking God to help me spend my money wisely’. Well God wants to help you! But you need to cooperate with Him!
Face it head-on. Stop avoiding it!
Whatever the issue is you need to accept it as it is and not try to make excuses or avoid it! If you’re struggling with a particular sin, for example, admit it – at least to yourself! Don’t try to pretend even to yourself that your not. Only when we admit that there’s a problem can we begin to find a solution.
Ask for help
We’re not super humans. We are Christians. Spirit-filled and powerful beyond measure in Christ – Yes! – but still very much broken and weak in these mortal bodies. That’s why we need one another! That’s what the body of Christ is all about. The community, fellowship and love. That again is why we shouldn’t ‘forsake the gathering of believers’ (Hebrews 10:25). Sometimes we just need to reach out to someone and ask for help! God is up in heaven and He uses you and me – human vessels – to carry out His purposes.
So get out of that religious sphere and be a more Action-driven practical Christian! I’m not saying making declarations of faith is a problem! Definitely not! It is actually necessary to speak those words to our spirits regularly. However, it becomes a cause for concern when that becomes all we do! When we don’t put that faith into action! God likes to get us involved in everything! He likes when we are active!
Fun Fact: God got Adam involved in creation; He asked Adam to give all the animals names. He could’ve as well done that – just because He has the power to! – But he wanted man involved!
Let’s be ‘Involved’ Christians! 🙂
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
Genesis 2:19 NIV