In Series 1, we discovered we can get into certain troubles for doing the wrong things and it’s known as Rebellion in God’s eyes. In Series 2, we learned one can also get into serious troubles for doing the right things and it’s known as Persecution. We also discovered no true believer can escape persecution – it’s always attached to God’s blessings. Most important, we discovered ways to confront Rebellion and Persecution and their benefits if we approach them God’s way.
Series 3 deals with the last way we get into troubles – For Doing Nothing. We’ll consider the following:
- How we get into troubles for doing nothing (Series 3.1)
- How these troubles affect us (Series 3.2)
- How we get out of them God’s way (3.3)
- And How they benefit us if we approach them God’s way (Series 3.4)
begin with 3.1 – How we get into troubles for doing nothing
It’s as simple as it reads – you do nothing and troubles come your way. But it’s complex when you consider the context – you’re probably not doing certain things you ought to do or refusing to take responsibility. But sometimes it can also be from oppression and unknown reasons.
Below are the most common ways people suffer for doing nothing:
If we don’t work, we don’t get food. If we don’t plant, we can’t harvest. If we don’t invest, we can’t reap. But some people want to eat without working. Others desire great harvests without planting. And many desire all sorts of blessings yet haven’t invested a single resource.
No, life isn’t about works – it’s more about grace. But grace makes more sense if we trust God to accomplish certain works. The life of Jesus on earth was filled with acts. The apostles were hard-working people. God’s servants aren’t lazy people who expect mana to fall from heaven. God’s servants are inventors, innovators and positive risk takers. They make things happen. And when they don’t, the world suppresses them and complicate their lives.
Those Israelites saw themselves as grasshoppers in front of the inhabitants of the Promised Land. So they never made it there. Cain wouldn’t seek to do what’s right in God’s eyes. He rather envied and killed his brother. The Pharisees wouldn’t engage in sincere inquiry. They were comfortable with their self-righteousness.
Some people don’t want to be in control of anything, run away from challenges. They want to be accountable for nothing.
But that’s an illusion. We have an adversary – the devil – he never makes things easy for us. It’s either you confront his schemes, overcome him and live a victorious life or sit quiet, do nothing and perish in destitution. He’s there to complicate your life – that’s his mission. You’ve got to take the bull by the horns. There’s no neutral ground in this matter.
People also suffer from well-organized oppression. Some oppressors and suppressors give you little chances to be proactive. They render you a utensil of their own progress. Some Superpowers have well-organized strategies to steal the resources of weaker nations. The cries of the children in the DRC, Syria, Libya, Sudan and other rich nations in tumult is, in part, the result of oppressive measures from organized multinationals to steal their wealth.
Olga never saw her parents. She has no clue how she came into this world. She’d love to live in a home with them giving her the protection she needs. But in the orphanage where she finds herself, she can only dream of such a life. She didn’t ask to be brought to this world. Yet, she’s here experiencing the heat of the days.
Fred and Alice can’t tell why they can’t have children. Doctors discovered no malfunctions in their reproductive systems. They’ve been trying for many years in vain. Who can explain what’s going on? But they keep trying.
Some people suffer for unknown reasons. They can’t explain why they’re going through the pain affecting their lives. They’re simply powerless in the situation.
A friend from the DRC comes from a community occupied by rebels from his birth. People live in terror and uncertainty over there. On social media last week, a truck lost control and drove into a house. A young man was killed and several others in the house injured.
It’s possible to suffer for doing nothing. This can result from a lack of proactiveness, creativity or from oppression and unknown reasons.
In 3.2, we’ll discover how these troubles affect us.
Please share with your family and friends