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Who has been approached by a homeless guy asking for money?

And in the course of the few seconds you’re asking or thinking to yourself:

• Does he really need the money for bus fare?
• Am I safe? Is he going to club me over the head?
• Is he going to use this money to buy drugs or alcohol?
• Do I have money on me? Please don’t let me have money.

What I’ve been thinking about lately is our tendency as Christians to hesitate before taking action.

It reminded me of something a pastor once shared in Masuko, Peru on the mission field.

Matthew 28:18-19 (NIV)
¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go . . .

“Therefore go . . . ”

Jesus’ command to us, his disciples, is go. Our default action as Christians should be to go.

But too often we over think and over analyze the next step or action. Paralysis through analysis. And before you know it the opportunity has passed.

If we would be less hesitant and more inclined to just jump out of the boat we would see God do more in our lives!

• More lives getting touched with the love of Christ

The list of thoughts/hesitations I gave earlier about the homeless guy. Who cares!? Jesus makes it blatantly clear that we are supposed to help people in need and not judge them. Give the guy some money; buy him a cheeseburger. Pray with him at the very least!

That one simple act will go a lot further than you walking away rationalizing to yourself that the homeless guy was going to buy alcohol with your money.

• More personal growth, Spiritual maturity and progress

We’ve got dreams. We’ve got God’s calling we’d all love to fulfill. We’ve got big decisions. What’s the next step? How am I going to make it happen? Where’s the money or the time going to come from?

The answer to that question can be “I don’t know.”

A 50%-good solution that people actually have solves more problems and survives longer than a 99% solution that nobody has because it’s in your lab where you’re endlessly polishing the damn thing.
~ from Joel on Software

As Christians we need to be okay moving forward and taking a step without all the answers or even direct confirmation from God. The bottom line is that if you are moving forward, you are making progress.

You, walking towards your calling and dreams, will have a greater impact on people than you standing there waiting to see how God is going to align the stars to make it happen.

Therefore go.

I don’t know why, but I’m afraid.

I’m afraid of responsibility.

I’m afraid of leading people.

I’m afraid of being outwardly passionate.

I’m afraid of accepting the authority given to me.

I’m afraid of stepping up my game.

I’m afraid of my life being out of balance.

I’m afraid.

I’m paralyzed.

2 Corinthians 11:30 (NIV)
³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)
¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)
⁴ For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.

But I will learn to walk again by God’s power . . .

1 Samuel 14:7 (NIV)
7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” (emphasis added)

Ruth 1:16-17 (NIV)
16 But Ruth replied, “. . . Where you go I will go . . . . 17 Where you die I will die . . . . May the LORD deal with me . . . if anything but death separates you and me.” (emphasis added)

I’ve been wrestling over this post for awhile. I’m having a hard time communicating in words what God is communicating in my spirit.

The bottom line is that spiritual maturity, growth and fruit requires a decision to commit (despite any hardships). Commit to what? You tell me . . .

We all have areas of our lives that we’d love to abandon, hop the fence and frolic in the grass on the other side. My church isn’t feeding me. Let me try the church down the road. This relationship is too much work, how about I move on to that pretty looking girl over there? I’m not content at my job. Let me keep my eyes open for an out.

In the verses above, the armor-bearer and Ruth both stand firm in their commitment to Jonathan and Naomi. Wherever they go, we go. Kinda reminds me of the My Buddy and Kid Sister commercials of the 80’s.  ;)

It is this commitment that eventually brings God’s blessing. Jonathan and the armor-bearer defeat the Philistines. Ruth marries Boaz and becomes the great grandmother of King David (I think I did the genealogy right).

Commitment is a lot like planting a seed. Your life is a seed.  When you choose not to commit and plant yourself somewhere else, you start from the beginning. You have to re-grow your roots. Keep bouncing from here to there and you’ll never see any fruit in your life.

Psalm 92:13 says those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish.

bq. Roots are critical to growing things.
~ Stu Weber in Tender Warrior

Do you have roots where you’re at now? If not, plant yourself. Make the decision to commit regardless of how difficult, painful or inconvenient it may be.

(Obviously filtering it through God first.) ;)

If you haven’t read the essay in my previous post, I would encourage you to do that first.

That essay really resonates with me and affirms the cry of my heart.

Jesus needs us to be tenacious about his Gospel. Our lives need to be in a continual battle to ensure we are in line with God. We need to be idealists; believing one person can change the world through the power and Spirit of God within us.

Brooke’s words are a subtle reminder to that and how short our influence on the earth is.

James 4:14 (NIV)
¹⁴ . . . What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Brooke passed away at fourteen.

Intellectually we all know that we will die . . . We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live as though our lives would go on forever. (emphasis added)
~Frederick Buechner

Why do we frolic along in our lives thinking we have the rest of eternity to accomplish the plans and purposes of God in our lives? Or that we can spend the first half for ourselves and then the last half for God?

I will go on adventures and change the world. . . . I’ll be one of those people who live to be history maker. . . . I’ll be one of those people who go somewhere with . . . a world-changing plan, and nothing will hold me back.
~Brooke Bronkowski

I want to spend eternity in Heaven knowing I’ve left behind an eternity on Earth.

An eternity of Kingdom influence. An eternity of disciples who are building up new disciples. An eternity of passionate, sold-out, radical little Tran-babies passing on the fire from generation to generation. ;)

But we don’t have an eternity to leave behind an eternity.

We have to start now . . .

Below is an essay written by Brooke Bronkowski, a girl I read about in Crazy Love by Francis Chan.

The essay was written at the age of twelve and is a humbling expression of maturity from from a girl who later passed away in a car accident (at the age of fourteen).

Since I Have My Life Before Me

I’ll live my life to the fullest. I’ll be happy. I’ll brighten up. I will be more joyful than I have ever been. I will be kind to others. I will loosen up. I will tell others about Christ. I will go on adventures and change the world. I will be bold and not change who I really am. I will have no troubles but instead help others with their troubles.

You see, I’ll be one of those people who live to be history makers at a young age. Oh, I’ll have moments, good and bad, but I will wipe away the bad and only remember the good. In fact that’s all I remember, just good moments, nothing in between, just living my life to the fullest. I’ll be one of those people who go somewhere with a mission, an awesome plan, a world-changing plan, and nothing will hold me back. I’ll set an example for others, I will pray for direction.

I have my life before me. I will give others the joy I have and God will give me more joy. I will do everything God tells me to do. I will follow the footsteps of God. I will do my best!!!

~Brooke Bronkowski