Is It Time to Just … Do Something???

By: Caleb Nadeau

Life can be a confusing place. It is filled with many unexpected challenges and unfortunate situations. It can often lead to questions regarding how we are to determine the meaning or purpose behind every distinct life decision.

In his book Just Do Something, author and pastor Kevin DeYoung helps unravel the mystery of finding one’s purpose. He explains that it isn’t waiting for a sign from heaven. It isn’t flipping through a Bible until a passage jumps out at you. It isn’t hyper-spiritualizing every decision or outcome of life.

The process is often as simple as just living out your faith and taking the necessary action needed to allow God’s will to be done. It is trusting in His purposes and living life according to those purposes.

In his book, DeYoung expounds some Biblical truth to remedy the constant stream of inactivity and paralysis by analysis that young people are often afflicted with. He explains that our decision-making process can often be rooted in deep-set fear and that because we tend to over-rationalize every decision, we fail to see the importance of actually moving forward in faith.

Like the Nike slogan states: Just Do It, we as Christians need to realize that just doing it and not moralizing every decision can also be part of God’s will.

Overall, Just Do Something is a valuable book for anyone with a child about to graduate high school or a grown adult who is still figuring things out. It may very well be the catalyst that spurs on activity and growth in a young believer’s life.

The one area that I would address, however, is the fact that this book could use a revision for the 2020s. It was written in 2009, 16 years from today. This adds complexity to this advice since so much has changed since the book was published.

The world is now accelerating into an automated existence. Certain jobs are expected to disappear in the next five years, and people are already witnessing high levels of inflation and cost-of-living issues.

It is difficult to say what the future will hold, but we know Who holds the future. What I suspect Kevin would say in a revised edition of Just Do Something is that by taking a step of action in faith, you are coming one step closer toward reaching a goal. That goal can look different for different people. Not everyone has the same desires and skills.

It can also be difficult to just do something in your life when it is sidelined by those who think you can’t do anything or in environments where people actively work against you. There are often preconceived and faulty notions people can have of others. There are also those who have been victims of abuse (physical or otherwise) and might struggle to see much good in moving forward.

Jesus tells us to take courage and know that when others revile you or hurt you or speak all manner of evil against you falsely, you receive a blessing. Jesus doubles down, “Do not repay evil for evil, or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” -1 Peter 3:9

Jesus was misunderstood and rejected. He was hated and reviled. He was mocked and mistreated. His response was to say, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” Jesus clearly shows us an example of what to do in the harshest of circumstances.

I suspect that while Kevin DeYoung did not address what to do when many obstacles are present (And as a Christian, there will be obstacles), it is evident that even in the most extreme circumstances, the Lord’s will shall ultimately prevail, and those who follow Him shall only suffer a little while.

The point is that regardless of one’s present circumstances, complacency should not replace a commitment to positive change, and just quite frankly, doing anything. We must not stand idly by, as our lives become so easily consumed by distractions and doubt.

Just doing something can take guts, and it can result in public humiliation and shame, especially if that means standing true to the faith.

May we all have the tenacity, the courage, and the grit to stand firm to the truth (regardless of emotion and the desire to be liked) and combat every lie of the enemy, holding on to those precious promises of Christ.

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