I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the best of intentions accomplishes absolutely nothing. Wishing someone well does precious little to aid them in any way. Service of any kind happens only when we put action behind our thoughts. Wishing there was no poverty in the world is noble, but ultimately useless. Selling your unnecessary possessions and giving that money to alleviate hunger will be a step towards eliminating poverty in the world. Teaching a person less fortunate than you a skill they can use to get ahead in life will not only boost their self-esteem, but this too will be another step towards the elimination of poverty. When we take action, our best intentions and wishes begin to form into reality. We will have begun to live a life that looks like Christ.
Jesus never simply wished someone well or only had a good thought for an individual in need. He took action; He reached into their need and healed their heart. Christ didn’t die with a bunch of unfulfilled plans left undone. He took action every step along the way of His life to make certain that He accomplished everything He came to do. We have become really good at making plans and creating goals. Often, however, we leave the actual doing to someone else. This is not the life that Jesus modeled for us. Jesus made a plan and then carried it through. He saw a need and immediately filled it. We have the best of intentions, but Jesus focused on the best implementations.
The difference between how we tend to see problems and How Jesus saw them, is that He actually seized the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. We need to move from being a people of planning to become a people of action. We tend to get stuck within the process of making sure we get it right. We plan endlessly or simply put off our service until we have enough time, enough money or enough help. Jesus did not wait, He never hesitated. He was 100% certain of His mission, and every action He took moved Him closer to fulfillment of that mission. He lived with an incredible sense of urgency. He realized every moment mattered for God, and He acted out His every intention.
While we sit and plot our next activity or ministry, children continue to die of disease and malnutrition. AIDS runs rampant, devastating entire countries. Thousands are tortured each day for their religious beliefs, and millions more die without the hope of Jesus Christ. Planning ways to help is not good enough. If we would live like Jesus, we must learn to throw caution to the wind and simply, but immediately, act. It is when we give it all away that we will suddenly discover all that we’ve ever been missing. Once we stop intending and start doing we will see changes in our world that we would have never dreamed possible.
Our God is a God of action. He is not anti-planning, but He is against inaction. He calls us to do good works in His name, deeds that will bring about His Kingdom on earth. When was the last time you moved out of the planning mode and actually did something audacious for God? When was the last time you took action without thinking, simply because it was the right thing to do? God will not bless our best intentions, but He will bless our action regardless of how well we execute it. Let’s stop giving lip service to God about our commitment to Him; instead, let’s turn the best of our intentions into tangible activities of service to others.