Living Lesson: The Importance of "Do"

Living Lesson: April 6^th, 2014

The Importance of “DO” – by Christopher Wiles

Monday afternoon my new older minivan picked up an unfamiliar passenger, a middle aged man that we'll call "Gary" for the sake of anonymity.  When Ashley spotted him, good ole Gary was stumbling and staggering around worse than a teenager waking up for school the morning after spring break.  While Ashley has never graced a bar with her presence or ever been drunk herself, the signs of inebriation were so obvious to her she knew the man to be in great need.

Gary quickly interrogated me as to the purpose of my stop.  Once he found out I served as a local congregation minister he declared  “I’m a religious man!  I have crosses and Bibles all over my house.  I’m a religious man!”  His declaration caused me to wonder, “I have crosses and Bibles too.  What makes me any different than Gary at this moment or others who own them?”

Gary answered it himself after my family taxied him the final mile to his home. My middle aged passenger made the rather astute evaluation when he said, “You’re not from here are you?”  I confessed my Tennessee boy origins which prompted his reply, “I thought so, nobody from here would DO what you just did.” 

While I disagree with Gary’s evaluation of local Hoosiers, he did draw a very distinct difference between us and the cross and Bible owners he’s used to.  The difference is in what we DO. 

My morning Bible reading today (Thursday) chauffeured my mental travels across Luke 10 and the parable of the Good Samaritan.  The expert of the law had asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  After the expert summed up the law with “Love the Lord your God… and Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus replied with “DO this and you will live.”  At the conclusion of the parable the expert declared the one who had mercy was the neighbor to the hurt man.  Instructing him to more than being an “expert in the law” Jesus instructed him to “Go and DO the same.” 

What separates us from the rest of the “religious experts” of the world?  Consider this small two letter word.  DO. 

What have you DOne, are you DOing, are you planning to DO to love God and your neighbors?  Really, spend time thinking about those questions.  Formulate a reply to them. After answering those questions, Go and DO in obedience to the Lord, His word, and your response.  You’ll be glad you did. 

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” – 1 Samuel 15:22

P.S. Have you got a special knack for helping alcoholics recover from the debilitating decline that dependence on drunkenness brings?  Let me know and I'll be glad to link you with "Gary" to help him DO all the Lord intends for his life.