NOW! Do Something.

I’ve looked around, talked to some people with influence, had discussions with ministry leaders, pastors, church leaders, and regular folks like myself… and the term that I think best describes our attitude towards faith is… “Lazy”.  If you have ever said something like, “Somebody should do something about that!”, you need to wake up.

I’ve searched the scriptures and found that the power of faith is in doing… not in complaining.  How do you think Christ Jesus would respond to you waving your finger at a problem and complaining to Him about why things aren’t better and that something should be done about things?  Personally, I think He would stare straight into your eyes… raise a brow… and give that expression that says… “you’ve GOT to be kidding me.”

It is certainly evident that part of our responsibility as Christians is to train up the young in faith.  The breakdown in the system however is that if we don’t understand what true faith looks like… how can we show it?  And thus begins the cycle of getting nowhere fast.  Pastors have the responsiblity to help us find our calling, our gifts, and our talents coupled with ways we can use them.  But it’s not the preacher’s job to do your job.

Do you attend a church where the pastor is expected to do all of the work?  Do you really think that is the model we should follow?  How can you experience growth if you sit on your hands and complain about how things used to be or how things should be.  I don’t think Christ would spend much time listening to your bellyaching.  In fact.. I think he would kick the dust off his sandals and move on.

The absolute most important thing you can do to understand what faith looks like is to shut up and start doing something.  Serve your congregation, serve your family, serve your community, serve strangers.

Here is a rule of thumb that all people with faith should employ.  1 complaint = 1 solution.

Complain all you want… but back it up with ideas and ways to make things better.  If you don’t have a solution… shut your trap… it’s not constructive… and it doesn’t paint a very clear picture of Christ and how we train up the young in faith.

If you are in the company of complaint… encourage one another to find a solution and be constructive.  Men of faith must lead the way in the endeavor.  Stop participating in the tearing down of your faith community and start using your “man wired” mind to generate solutions… guys love to fix stuff.

Now here’s the responsibility portion of the discussion – a solution that suits just you… isn’t a solution.  If you aren’t praying for direction in all of your committees, meetings, or pursuits… you might as well stay at home and do nothing.  You can’t build faith if God isn’t allowed to enter into the think tank.

The church is loaded with do nothings, complainers, and finger pointers.  I don’t care how much money you give… if you do nothing… your faith is dead and useless. (Go Read James 2:16-19):

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.(NIV)

On the positive… I am honored to be part of a thriving congregation that is committing their lives to doing something.  Sure we have our share of bench warmers… like all congregation.  It’s not up to me to determine who is and isn’t living their faith through actions… but it is up to all of us not to put up with complaints with no solutions.

There are many churches that are thriving and growing disciples… but if you look close… about 80% of the work is being done by 20% of the people (if your lucky).  There comes a point if you are in the 20% crowd that you must stop doing all of the work and spend some time training others how to live out their acts of service.  Mentoring is an act of ministry that fuels and feeds the community of faith.

May your eyes be opened today that you see the need.  May you stand next to Christ and not complain… but ask for His eyes to see where you can be a part of showing faith.

Peace,
Greg
Acts 4:31

About

Welcome, and thanks for dragging yourself over to Live|Bold! My name is Greg Arnold and I am pumped to see you here. This interactive online community is here to point every man toward the cross. Whether you have been a follower of Christ for ages, or you are just stumbling into this strange new world of faith, we have something of value to offer you. This online e-zine is a cross between a blog, a social network, a resource center, and a pulpit. My hope is to inspire you to live your faith on the outside and be a real man for God. We need you in the fight.