Doing Something
We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
Every day I write, I’m sharing what’s on my mind that day. Some days the topic is not just something I want to explain; some days I’m trying to get a better grip on myself. On those days, I let my guard down a bit and write from my personal struggles. Today is one of those days.
I started what I thought was an experiment in daily writing and posting to a Facebook page a little over a month ago. I originally committed to 10 days and was a little afraid I would run out of topics. At some point along the way, I realized I no longer worry about that. I’m not afraid of waking up and having to come up with a coherent story that is meaningful and encouraging. For that, I thank God.
But writing these daily posts is not easy. Some days it’s exhausting to work on something for four or five hours, especially if it engages deep memories or emotions. And the writing is just one part of what I have to do in a day, alongside creating images, posting to the website, and managing the details that come with building something new.
Some days, like today, I feel stuck, trying to figure out what to do next. If I’m going to advertise, I have to decide what content to promote, how much to spend, and what the goal is. Should I focus on reaching new readers or engaging the ones I already have? Should I promote recent stories or older ones that still carry weight? With so many options, it’s easy to slip into analysis paralysis.
Then I’m reminded of a book I read years ago by pastor Kevin DeYoung called Just Do Something. One of the takeaways is this: indecision and passivity actually deny a very important Christian doctrine, and that is the providence of God. Providence means that God has already woven my decisions—even my mistakes—into His sovereign plan. He’s not waiting to see what I’ll choose so He can scramble to make it work. He’s already there.
Essentially, it works like this: I do research, and then I make some plans that I think are best, and God still works out His purposes through my decisions.
So today, I’m going to just do something.
To start, I’m sharing my story and hoping it encourages you in the decisions that you have to make every day. Saint Augustine preached a sermon in which he told his congregation essentially, “love God and do what you will.”
In other words, as long as our hearts are trained in love for Him—through prayer, through keeping His purposes central, through seeking wisdom in His Word—then we can act as we see best and allow God to be God and let Him work out the details.
. . . and that’s what I know today.
