Get Up and Go

And he rose and went. Acts 8:27

I’ve always been good at coming up with big ideas. My problem is in my follow through. Oh, I can dream big, but when I realize how much work it takes to get where I think I want to go, I don’t want to go as badly. So, I often just stay where I am.

Sometimes, I see faith as short cut around hard work. I want to be in better shape, so I pray, asking God to just take away my appetite for unhealthy food. I know how to eat right, but that’s a lot of work and I don’t want a lot of work. I just want God to change my appetite. The problem is that junk food will always have some appeal.

I’ve found that any success I’ve had with my gluttony – or my addiction for that matter – hasn’t come magically while I was indulging in my appetite. I don’t get to eat donuts or do drugs and then just pray that God would take away my desire, as I’m putting those things in my body. If I want my appetite to change, I must change my behavior first, and then I’ll often find that, through my obedience, God causes me to want right more than I want wrong.

We often look at others, wondering why they succeed where we fail. We look at those who’ve gotten sober or lost weight and wonder why we can’t get there.

I do this. I want to see God’s transforming power in those around me whom I see struggling with addiction. I read passages like today’s where God used Philip to reach the Ethiopian court official and I think, I want to see miracles like that. The problem though, is that I don’t want to be obedient like Philip. In the story, God told Philip to go, and Philip got up and went. When God puts someone in my life whom I know needs help, I often drag my feet with 10 different excuses. I’m learning to obey, but still, I’m often a reluctant Christian.

As in the rest of my life, I have good intentions. I simply don’t want to follow through. I believe in God and I want change for those I see struggling. I just don’t want to get involved myself. If I want to know faith though, and if I want to be part of God’s plan here on Earth, then I need to follow Philip’s example. When God tells me to, I must get up and go.