Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?" And he
said, "Yes, angry enough to die." Then the LORD said, "You are concerned about the bush, for
which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished
in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are
more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their
left, and also many animals?"
(Jonah 4.9-11
NRSV)
Some people say, "Oh, if I only knew what God's will is for my life." Sorry, but I doubt that is their real problem. Their real problem is motivating themselves to do the things they already know God wants them to do.
Judge Woodrow Seal, a U.S. District court judge, founded what is known as "The Society of St. Stephen". It has become a national program with the sole purpose of helping people in need.
One day a church invited Mr. Seal to come to their congregation to explain to them how they could begin a Society of St. Stephen in their church. So the Judge came. The plan was for the him to speak on the various ministries the Society engaged in and then there would be some time for discussion.
While the people took their seats the minister began to introduce Judge Seal and the work of the Society. The Judge took some cookies and poured himself some coffee. When the introduction was completed, Judge Seal walked over to the piano, put his coffee cup on top of it, and began to fumble in his coat pockets. Finally, he pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper and from it he read the name of a mother and her four children, including their ages and their clothing sizes.
He noted several other needs this particular family had, and said the address was on the paper, and he laid it on top of the piano. The Judge then said, "If you want to start a Society of St. Stephen, then you should contact this woman by 11:30 tomorrow morning. If you are not able to help her, don't worry, I'll be in contact with her tomorrow, and get her help by mid-afternoon." With that, Judge Seal remarked, "Now, forgive me, but I really must be going. Thank you for inviting me and for the coffee and the cookies." Then he walked out the door. It all took less than 5 minutes.
Judge Seal wasn't content to sit around helplessly waiting for God to give him some direction. He knew what God wanted him to do. He knew what God wanted this church to do. The problem is not lack of knowledge but lack of action.
Dear God, help me to be a person of action. Amen.
