Just Do Something

“I’m still waiting for God to give me a sign on what job to apply.”

“Should I choose this path or the other one?”

“Should I court her or not?”

Have you ever been frozen with fear of doing the wrong decisions in life or waited in vain for God to give some confirmation? Whether it be deciding what course to enroll, what path to take, what job to apply or where to live. All of us have been in that area of our lives where instead of making a firm decision, we just wait instead or better yet ask for signs.

A few years back, I was in that area of navel-gazing what to do. It didn’t take long that I received a book entitled “Just do something” by Kevin De Young from my best friend which finally answered all my questions. I used to be afraid of deciding for myself because I might be wrong or I might have been going against God’s will for my life. But this book was different and it completely opened my eyes. It invites us all a complete liberation, setting us free to do the work of the good Lord with joy in our hearts. It encourages us to go out there and just do something. The points are so simple, clear and straightforward.

So here’s what I learned:

God has a specific plan for our lives

When Jesus spoke of the Father’s plan for all eternity, He spoke of it as the Father’s will. In the same way, when we speak of “God’s plan” we refer to this as God’s will. But this “will” of God must be carefully distinguished from several other wills mentioned by the author.

• God’s will of decree- What He has predetermined from eternity past—cannot be thwarted.”

“I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”Isaiah 46:9–1

God’s will of decree means God always gets His way. If you are able to travel safely from a 2-hour plane trip to a certain country. You arrived safely on that place because God allowed it to happen. When you passed the board exams unexpectedly, it is because God allowed it to happen. When you are accepted to a job that you dreamed of, still, it’s because of God for granting it to happen. Nothing can stop God from accomplishing His will. God’s plan is indeed unchanging and cannot be stopped.

• God’s will of desire—the way He wants us to live.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

God’s will of desire refers to what God desires from His creatures. This will is sometimes obeyed and also disobeyed. His will of desire for us is written in the following scriptures below:

1.  Praise the name of God (Psalm 69:30–31)
2. Be sexually pure (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
3. Be joyful always (1 Thessalonians 5:16)
4. Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
5. Give thanks in every circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
6. Live by faith (Hebrews 11:6)
7. Do good (1 Peter 2:15)
8. and the list goes on…

• God’s will of direction

According to De Young. “Does God have a secret will of direction that He expects us to figure out before we do anything? And the answer is NO.” Of course, we are still permitted to ask for God’s direction because it’s the right way and we should be keen to prayer in all matters. It was mentioned that “God does have a specific plan for our lives, but it is not one that He expects us to figure out before we make a decision.” “Trusting in God’s will of decree is good. Following his will of desire is obedient. Waiting for God’s will of direction is a mess.”

Have the confidence to take risks for His name’s sake

At some point in our life, we pray to God to give us signs when it comes to decision making. We pray that God’s will be revealed to us through countless of prayers. This completely shows what kind of a timid and coward person we are. Yes. Because instead of going out there and doing things that we want and desire (Of course, with God’s guidance), we just stay and wait for answers and signs which make us stagnant and paralyzed.

Nowadays, one of the common mistakes of people is the failure to take risks for God because we are so obsessed with security and safety. Have you noticed that the people from the past is very different from today’s generation? Before, my mother would always tell me that adults in their mid 20s are already stable and married. Presently, adults are still confused, stagnant and so lost in their direction in life. That’s because most of the time, we think that finding the will of God is like walking in a maze. We have to search and walk to the end to be know the revelation of His will for us. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen that way.

However, if we are like Esther in the bible (kindly read her story in Esther 4). She didn’t wait for a sign from heaven and seek any divine word from God before doing something. Though we can see that God is at work in Mordecai’s advice to Esther. God did not tell her what would happen if she obeyed or exactly what she could do to ensure success. She just had to take a risk for God. Our amazing God has given us brains to think and invites us to take risks for Him.

As what De Young said, “Obsessing over the future is not how God wants us to live, because showing us the future is not God’s way. His way is to speak to us in the Scriptures and transform us by the renewing of our minds. We should stop looking for God to reveal the future to us and remove all risk from our life. We should start looking to God—His character and His promises—and thereby have confidence to take risks for His name’s sake.”

Still confused on what to decide? Give up. Stop focusing on non-moral decisions. Pray, make decisions, and follow through on them, without second-guessing or waiting for subjective impressions.

Seek God First

Get up and do something but provided that we seek God first in our lives. The decision to being God’s will is the daily decision we face to seek God’s kingdom or ours, submit to His lordship or not, live according to His rules or our own. The question God cares about most is not “Where should I live?” but “Do I love the Lord with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind, and do I love my neighbor as myself?” For that question, the second one, gets to the heart of God’s will for your life.

Here, then, is how we are to live within God’s will: “So go marry someone, provided you’re equally yoked and you actually like being with each other. Go get a job, provided it’s not wicked. Go live somewhere in something with somebody or nobody. But put aside the passivity and the quest for complete fulfillment and the perfectionism and the preoccupation with the future, and for God’s sake start making some decisions in your life. Don’t wait for the liver-shiver. If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God’s will, so just go out and do something.”

God’s will for your life is really not as complicated as you may be making it out to be! So, get up and go out there and just do something!