Do Something!

The weekend before Christmas Bryan and I took a day trip to Charlotte. The purpose of this trip was to visit the Billy Graham Library. It is a beautiful place and it is free! It is a library of information and pieces from the Graham family. Bryan couldn't seem to understand why it is called a library when there are very few books. However, there is a bookstore inside called Ruth's Attic. I purchased a book there and have been very pleased with it. The book is ironically called Letter's from Ruth's Attic and it is written by Ruth Bell Graham.

I have always been fascinated by Ruth Graham, so this devotional book really got my attention. Last week one of the entries really stood out to me. Day 7 is titled Do Something.

I read something on the page that I have never read or been told before, but often felt. The article opens with "there are times that praying is not enough."As Christians we often over complicate or over spiritualize things. You know people like that, they have to pray about using the bathroom. Come on! God gives us common sense and instincts for a reason. He expects us to use those instincts to move, to do something.

He also gives us commands and expects us to act on them. You also know those people who totally miss the action step or command, because they spent all of their time thinking and praying about something. If someone is in an accident and is physically hurt, you don't stop and pray for 30 minutes and consult 10 people, you act.

Joshua 7: 10&13 (NCV)
10 The Lord said to Joshua, "Stand up! Why are you down on your face 13 "Now go!

This quote from CS Lewis summed it up for me, "I am often, I believe, praying for others when I should be doing things for them. It's so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see him."

The article ends with this line, "We must be quick to pray, and just as quick to obey."

What are you doing? Don't get me wrong, there is power in prayer and it is essential to our relationship with Christ. We must be careful that we don't make prayer a crutch or an excuse to sit on our rear ends. It just may be time to stand up and go! Go do something!