It’s amazing to me that we are walking through this pandemic during the Easter season. There are so many beautiful parallels about suffering, darkness, hope – really, the resurrection story is relevant for any season.

I can’t imagine having been one of the disciples. We give them a hard time for screwing up, but the reality is, Jesus gave them a roller coaster of emotions! He was with them, He died, He came back, and then He left again for heaven. Then they had to learn what life was like without His physical presence. You’d think they’d waiver, right? We’d anticipate that they’d feel a little lost with so many questions. It’s truly the opposite. The gospels are full of twelve men asking questions and Jesus needing to explain Himself clearly. But the rest of the New Testament is full of stories of faith, confidence and miracles.

The difference? Trust. Complete, unwavering trust that Jesus was with them. They were confident in Jesus’ love and concern for them. They stepped out in faith and didn’t question His will. They acted.

I’m afraid maybe we’ve used the concept of “waiting on God” as a bit of a cop-out at times. We should absolutely use wisdom and listen to the voice of our Father. But I believe that our level of action is directly related to our level of trust.

In the very first chapter of Acts, directly after Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples were discussing who should replace Judas. There were once twelve of them. Judas betrayed Jesus, and then hung himself. They discussed how the Psalms prophesied that they should choose someone else to take his place.

They didn’t pray on it for a week. They didn’t ask other people’s opinions. They didn’t do a background check or conduct interviews for good character. Here’s what they did in verses 23-26.

“So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias. Then they prayed. ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.‘ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.” 

What!? This was a massive decision. They were adding a very significant person to their tight-knit team. This makes it seem like they left it up to chance. They basically rolled the dice and let it decide for them.

It was absolutely the opposite. They didn’t wait for an answer. They didn’t wait for a voice or a feeling. They trusted the will of their Father, and they acted.

Nothing with Jesus is random or by chance. Their actions revealed the level of their trust.

Their faith in their relationship with the Almighty God, and their contentment in His perfect will for them gave them confidence to step forward without overthinking.

If you are faced with a difficult decision right now, bring it to Jesus. Ask Him to make it clear. Then – act.

“So now it’s clear that a person is seen as righteous in God’s eyes not merely by faith alone, but by his works.” James 2:24

Now, maybe more than ever, is the time to step into action.

What are you waiting for?

Are you waiting for God to make it clear for you to reach out to someone you think may need encouragement?

Are you waiting on God to tell you to help someone in need during these dark times?

Are you waiting for God to push you to take that first step in fulfilling that dream now that you have the time?

Are you waiting for God to take the first step in you reaching out to mend that broken relationship?

Are you waiting on God to open the door wide for you to receive some help through professional counseling?

It’s time for us to act.

It’s time to stop pretending that we need to tiptoe around God and His will so that we don’t fall out of His plans for us. We are not called to be timid, afraid to upset our Dad. We are His children, chosen and loved and set apart. It’s time we acted like it. Let’s let our trust in Him push us toward confident action.

God is asking for more from us. His will is perfect, and His plans for us are good.

What are we waiting for?