Agents of Change

My mom used to say, “do something, even if it’s wrong.”

I always thought it was a silly saying because if I did something wrong, then I would get in trouble with my parents, my teachers or, depending on what I did, the police. Of course, that’s not what she was saying. She meant do something, take some type of action, instead of waiting for something to happen.

It’s taken me many years to understand what she meant, mainly because I was too busy with work, school and trying to have a life outside of work and school. Then, when school was finished, I was too busy working, volunteering at church and trying to help members of my family. After that, when I no longer had those responsibilities, I just sat and did nothing.

I think I’m just now understanding what she meant and I’m nearly 54-years-old. I still catch myself sitting around and doing nothing, but I’m trying to change, but change is darn hard. Sometimes I don’t know which direction to take, but I’m finally trying to embrace my mother’s words and “do something, even if I think it’s wrong.”

I think we Christians fall into the same trap. We pray for something to happen, but we don’t put in the effort for it to happen. A new career isn’t going to fall in your lap, money doesn’t rain from the sky and your children are not going to become properly behaved ladies and gentlemen overnight. It is important to pray, but you need to “do something” as well.

“You pray for the hungry. Then you go out and feed them. That’s how prayer works.”

I love that quote from Pope Francis because I think it says exactly what God has tried/is trying to convey to us. The Bible is all about taking action and not waiting for something to happen.

From Genesis through the New Testament, God has commanded his believers to “do something,” to take action and to obey his orders. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son to obey God. Moses took action when he began to lead God’s people to the promised land. Jesus commanded the disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them and teaching them. He didn’t say stay in the temple and wait for them to come to you.

“Go do something, even if it’s wrong.”

We are God’s hands on earth and if our hands (and hearts and minds) are not working to help the needy, the sick, the lonely and others around us, then what good are we as Christians?

If you can’t donate money, donate time, even if you just take a lonely widowed neighbor dinner on occasion or have a cup of coffee with a friend who is struggling. It may seem like a small thing, but to someone, it could change their life.