I Refuse

“I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else to do what God has called me to do myself, oh I could choose not to move, but I refuse.” –I Refuse, Josh Wilson

Recently, this has become one of my favorite songs. If you haven’t heard it, go listen to it (Right now. It’s awesome). It hits a lot of points that can be hard to hear, but we need to think about them.

We oftentimes when we hear of a problem do nothing about it. Sure, we may send a prayer their way, but we don’t do anything about it ourselves. We always want someone else to do something. We would like something to happen, but if helping messes with our comfort or schedule, it doesn’t happen.

We pray God would send someone. Did you ever think that that someone could be you?

I’m not just talking about missions. I’m talking about something as simple as sharing Christ with your best friend, or sponsoring a child in need or doing a simple service project.

We may take our friend to church and hope that the pastor’s words will reach their heart. But a man speaking from a pulpit will never have the same place in the heart of your friend that you do. He won’t command the same level of respect that you will. And besides, it’s not just the pastor’s job to share the gospel. It’s all of ours. I know it’s not easy and, speaking from personal experience, I know you will not always succeed. You will fail and you will feel like you bumbled through it and there was no fruit in what you did. But you never know when your words will come back to that person and effect them later in life. So do it.

If you feel lead to go help out people through volunteer work, then don’t wait for someone else to go. Do it. You never know how much good you can do helping those people, and you could use that as an opportunity to share Christ with them.

Always be attentive to the Spirit’s urging. Yes it can disrupt your plans, even multiple times in a row. Look at Paul in Acts 16:6-10. First they wanted to go to Asia, but it says they were forbidden by the Spirit from going there. Then they tried to go into Bithynia, but as it says in verse 7 “The Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.”

Keep in mind, they aren’t driving of flying to these places. They are either walking or sailing. So they go hundreds of miles, just to be told no once again.

Finally Paul receives a vision to go to Macedonia. And he goes immediately.

Immediately.

He begins the long trek to Macedonia as soon as he can. He doesn’t grumble or complaining because the Spirit disrupted his plans twice in a row. He sets out straightaway.

What if we had that kind of attentiveness and obedience to the Spirit’s calling? To be willing to do whatever He has called us to do, be it something large or small, as soon as He calls us to it. I think it would certainly bring about a revival in our lives and in our churches.

What if we stopped praying for God to send people to provide the needs of others and instead prayed, asking God what He would have us do to address those needs?

I think we should stop just praying for the needs of others. I’m not saying we should stop praying for them, but that we should also be willing to do something for it.

God uses people to help other people, and if no one is willing to go because they believe someone else will, then who will be left to go?

There are needs all around us that we can address, even right in our own home towns. And we can use those opportunities not only to help, but to bring Jesus to these people.

“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40

As a bit of encouragement- in Matthew, serving others is likened to serving Christ. If we are listening to the Holy Spirit and doing what it tells us, we will be serving Christ.

So in choosing to wait for someone else to follow the spirit, we in turn aren’t serving Christ the way we are commanded to.

And that’s something that I refuse to do. I refuse to wait for someone else to do what God has asked me to.