Just Do It!
As much as I hate to admit sometimes, I’m a part of the baby boomer generation. Like almost all other generations on either side of us, I also get tired of my generation’s hand-wringing and emotionalizing every single issue while nothing of substance ever really gets done. We can second guess someone’s motivation for doing what he or she is doing, we can question the inner intentions of other folk’s efforts, but so often my generation just “emotionalizes” things. I don’t doubt many in my generation’s motives — I believe most of intentions are good, but I do question our accomplishments. I can’t help but believe that Nike’s famous slogan, “Just Do It!” gained traction among post baby boomers because they were sick and tired of us simply talking about stuff and philosophizing about it.
I wouldn’t want to simply fall into step and just do stuff blindly — I don’t believe we’re called to be a bunch of Lemmings, simply doing what we’re told without examination. Our generation inherited a world where Hitler and Stalin murdered tens of millions because no one had the courage or the will to question what they were doing. Hundreds of thousands simply did what they were told. On the other hand, there comes a time when emotion and philosophy and motivation and intention have to be put into committed and ongoing action. Intention doesn’t mean anything without follow through. Motivation is worthless without action.
I can’t help but hear much of what Jesus says and does in Luke 6, our reading for today, in this context. Jesus lived in a world with a lot of religious talk, study, and pontificating. People were judged by the group with whom they were associated and not by the character of their lives. So we shouldn’t be surprised, then, when Jesus said:
//Inspiration: Luke 6:46
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
//Incarnation: What this verse means to my life today
While I must pursue truth and put in my head and my heart, the Lord is also calling me to put it into action. He stresses that the foolish person is not the one who doesn’t know what he says, but the one who knows what he says and doesn’t practice it. So I want to be one who lives the life Jesus demands. I want to do what he says rather than explain, or worse, explain it away.
//Invitation: My prayer for today
Father, forgive me for the many times I’ve known the truth of Jesus, even taught that truth, and didn’t fully put it into practice. Help me know as I try to live out your character and compassion, revealed and taught by Jesus, in my daily life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Click the comments link below and share your input on today’s readings!
Here a couple of questions to get you started, but feel free to add whatever you like to the discussion.
What is the verse that speaks most powerfully to you and why?
What makes it hard for you to live out God’s will for you in this passage?
What did you think about Phil’s take on this passage?
(The daily Bible reading schedule can be found online with Heartlight or hard copy out in pdf.)