Going Through The Motions

Wasn’t that testimony of how Delia Knox was miraculously healed inspiring? After seeing it, it got me to thinking about a statement she made. She said during those twenty-two years she’d gotten to the point where she didn’t want to go to altar calls anymore; simply because after years of coming forth; she still couldn’t walk. She said each time she was summoned, she always ended up being ‘plopped, dropped, flopped and flipped’; which eventually devastated her faith in God and in His ability to heal her. So why did she continue to go? One, because she was obedient. And two, because she was simply going through the motions. You see, sometimes we go through the motions – faith motions if you will.

Faith motions is when we deceive ourselves into believing that because we are ‘doing something’ that we’re actually in God's will and using our faith; because remember, James 2:17 says that faith without works is dead. So in an effort to prove our faith, we start ‘doing stuff’. We go to another conference, create another product for our business, quit our jobs, try something new or just scurry about; all in hopes that since we are ‘doing something’ – something has to happen. Yes, the old adage that 'doing something is better than nothing' works in certain situations; but who told you to do that stuff in the first place? Is that new diet, job, man, product, business, habit or thing something God told you to do or did you come up with it yourself?

Productivity vs. Busyness

I used to be a Servicing Manager for one of the largest subprime auto lenders in the nation. My job was to make sure that their multi-million dollar portfolio continued to generate a profit while overseeing the performance of 6 Supervisors and 45+ direct reports. During my tenure, I quickly discovered the key indicators of performance. One of which is being able to identify the difference between productivity and busyness. I soon learned that just because someone takes calls all day does not necessarily mean they’re being productive. I’ve monitored many associates who appeared to be ‘busy doing their jobs’; but when I looked closely at the call reports, their numbers indicated otherwise. Why? Because like so many of us, they perfected ‘looking busy’ while ‘doing something’, in an effort to live by James 2:17; but when you look closely at our life reports, our lives prove our lack of productivity. Our bodies, businesses, ministries, and relationships aren’t producing what our busyness denotes. We’re unhealthy, single, bitter, living below our potential and ungodly. We’re doing a whole lot of work but nothing significant is happening; simply because we’re just going through the ‘faith motions.’

Honest Life Assessment

After seeing Delia’s testimony, it got me to thinking about my own life. How I’ve started writing books and preparing pitch’s - satisfying my ‘busy’ bug; which resulted in me falling short before completion or becoming discouraged because I didn't receive the anticipated response I was hoping for. And you know why? It's because I was just 'trying stuff'; doing things that God never assigned or planned for my life. I too was like Delia who for twenty-two years, kept rolling herself from altar to altar; when inwardly, she knew that it was just another exercise in futility. Seeing her story really got me to thinking about why I’m really here and what I’m really doing. So I’ve decided to take an honest assessment of what I’m doing with my life and I encourage you to do the same. You may not be confined to a wheelchair, but what is it that you’re doing - just to be doing? And more importantly, is what you’re doing something God told you to do? If not, then stop! Because like Mrs. Knox, life will continue to plop you and folk with talk about and drop you; until you don’t want to do life anymore. Let’s stop wearing ourselves out…going through the faith motions. Let’s get still and get real with God; so that we can do the stuff we’re supposed to be doing.

Pray this with me: Heavenly Father, please forgive me for starting projects that you never told me to start. Please forgive me for occupying my time with unassigned projects, social media, television, unproductive conversations, and for downright being lazy and rebellious by not doing what You created me to do. Lord, show me what I should be doing today. Then Lord, show me again tomorrow and the next day until I get to the point where I’m in Your good, acceptable, and perfect will for my life. In Jesus’ name.

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