Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? –James 2:14-17 MSG

I’m notorious for praying like I don’t have two hands and two feet. Seriously. Every time I get ready to write a blog post, my prayer is always, “Lord, bless me with the words to say that will minister to and inspire others.” Sounds good, right?  But for Him to faithfully honor that prayer, I have to write–faithfully.

Take this post for instance; it was a good two or three weeks in the making. I believe God has called me to write this blog and to create weekly posts. I’ve been trying to work my way up to that, but if I’m going to be honest, I could put forth more effort where my consistency is concerned.  But while my blog collects dust between posts, my prayers are still going up. So the whole time I’m praying and asking God to bless this area of my life, and increase this area of my life, while neglecting the very area that He told me to tend to. If I believe I am supposed to be writing this blog, and I’m wanting him to do more in my life, then why am I not writing more?

I’m waiting on God to move and do things in my life, while simultaneously trying to ignore the fact that He’s asked me to do some things as well. It’s like I’m trying to have a staring contest with God, waiting to see who’s going to blink or move first. Who does that?  For the record, this post will probably be shorter than the others because I am, in a sense, yelling at myself. So glad you could bear witness.

In all seriousness though, this pattern of I-do-nothing-while-God-does-everything can’t be what He had in mind. Otherwise, why do I have a body? Why do I have a mind, a will and emotions? Because I’m supposed to be doing something, that’s why.

And you know what realization really prompted me to put my butt back in the chair and write? I could stay like this. Forever. If I know that God is calling me to do something and I don’t do it, I’m wasting my days. Let me give you another example, and just put all my business in the streets. Y’all know that’s what I do, anyway. I’ve asked God to increase the income of my household. Great. So, that’s my prayer. In the past, I’ve been not so great with money. I believe that God is asking me to do some specific things, one of which is to increase my financial literacy, before He blesses me with more money. Makes sense, right? Guess how quickly I’ve moved to pick up my Dave Ramsey book on money stuff? You guessed it: at. a. snail’s. pace. So I can sit up here and talk about how I’m just “waiting on the Lord” and feign a trial of endurance and patience, when really, God’s going through an actual trial of endurance and patience waiting on me. Fix it, Jesus.

After it’s all said and done, I have work to do, and I should get busy doing it. Lord, grant me the discipline, desire and tenacity to complete the things that you have called me to do. Amen.