As we look back on our lives every now and then; we recall memories, experience old fears and insecurities, joyous events which quicken our pulses and bring gladness to our hearts, and stress over how to resolve a situation that just happened…….  We can look into our memory banks and see where we really did something cool, did something we shouldn’t have, and regret NOT doing something that we should have done. Where is the reconciliation for our full lives in all of this?

There is not one person who recalls doing absolutely nothing. We have to learn to eat, to crawl, to walk, to tie our shoes, to extend ourselves to goals or milestones, etc. But God doesn’t give us a skeleton and muscle system to DO nothing. The Lord made us to do what He wanted us to do, so we can enjoy the fellowship with Him doing it.

“Being” just means there is existence. Being AND “doing” means you, as a viable living creation, were MEANT to do specific tasks during your life. We aren’t just meant to “be”, we were meant to “do”.

The creation that we “live in” (this human body) while we are on this planet is simply rental property. We have to turn this body in after our useful life is done. God decides that in His timetable.

So, God not only creates the “being”, He creates the “mind” in that being for a purpose. It is with great difficulty sometimes to discern what exactly we were supposed to “do” in this life. Some don’t find out until way up in their senior years what their assignment was. Sometimes, the assignment changes over time after certain events or time periods transpire. No matter what, we are not supposed to stop.

Keep in mind that sleeping, napping, being alone with God is not “nothing”. It is difficult to be an active listener. One of our pastoral staff spoke wisdom to me years ago. He says he sometimes calls people up just to listen. Listening IS “doing”. Doing doesn’t have to result in sweat, super effort, or stamina over long periods of time. It COULD, but it doesn’t have to.

Your activity on God’s behalf, with His instructions and guidance, is what makes you “being” better by “doing”.

“Lord, thank You for giving us the capacity to NOT only “be”, but to be active in Your plans to spread the Good News. Thanks for the energy, the wisdom, the vision, the capability, and the dedication to “do” what You’ve asked us or led us to do.   In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”