To Do Nothing

The only wrong answer is to do nothing.

Tim Ragan said this to me once. I was stressed about my future, about what God could be calling me to, and he said, “The only wrong answer is to do nothing.”

And that stuck with me, obviously.

I think we, as Christians, tend to very much over-spiritualize God’s will. We expect it to be some sort of bullseye on a target or the destination at the end of a map. We fear that, if we stray too far one way or the other off the narrow path, we’ll miss the mark completely and be lost in our own mistakes.

News flash: we’ve already missed the mark. That’s kind of the whole reason Jesus died on the cross. We are so far off from the mark of righteousness that we have no hope of finding our way back. We are incapable of following the map, no matter how hard we try or how many alternate routes we try to take. 

If God’s will is divine and holy and perfect, why on earth would we assume we could find it on our own in our sinful flesh? 

The problem, most often, is that we approach it like a note in a bottle that’s going to wash ashore. We look for some message written in the stars, or we sit in silence and try really really hard to listen for the still, small voice of God. 

Sometimes, God works that way. He promised Abraham fruitfulness through the stars, and He audibly spoke to Samuel in the middle of the night. He appeared to Moses through a burning bush, wrestled with Jacob in a cave, and sent Nathan to whip David into shape. Sometimes, God speaks to us very clearly. Sometimes, we’re too stupid to get back on track without a slap to the face. I think the goal is not to reach that point.

If God has to send a talking donkey in our path to turn us around, we’re probably doing something wrong.

Now, there is a difference between answered faithfulness and interrupting correction. God sent an angel to talk to Mary not because she was doing something wrong, but because she was doing something right. She was a servant of the Lord who praised Him in her everyday life. Do you think she was sitting around, idle, waiting for a visit from good ol’ Gabriel to see what God’s plan for her was? Absolutely not. I think, if she’d been doing that, God probably would’ve chosen someone else.

We are not called to be idle people.

So, then, what should we be doing? If we don’t know our path and we’re struggling to find out what God wants us to do, what should we do while we wait for direction?

Well, the only wrong answer is to do nothing.

Our God is a kind God. He, in all of His goodness and generosity, has already given us direction. He’s given us a whole book of it.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Luke 9:23 (ESV)

The Word of God is full of wisdom and truth to follow, but the greatest goal of every Christian is to simply follow Him.

When we follow Him, when we strive to become more like Christ in everything we do, that is when we are in the very center of His will. If we are abiding with Him, I believe we have agency. He has given us knowledge, talents, and relationships for a reason.

So, do something with them. It doesn’t matter what, as long as it’s in accordance with the Word. If it’s wrong, He’ll close the door and open a new one.

There isn’t some secret to finding God’s will. There isn’t a pattern you have to follow or a strategy you have to play in order to figure it out. He is much more loving than that.

All He wants us to do is follow Him.

After, that just do something. Anything. Literally any single thing you want to do that does not contradict with the Word. It’s a faith exercise, is what it is. How do you prove that you trust Him to guide you? You make decisions and run with them until He redirects your path. The Holy Spirit won’t let you do something He doesn’t want you to do.

Just don’t do nothing.

Bonus content:

If you’re interested (and I hope you are), here’s a list of ten things we know for a fact God wants us to do:

1. Repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15)
2. Believe in the existence of God (Hebrew 11:6)
3. Abide in love (John 15:9)
4. Pray steadfastly and give thanks (Colossians 4:2)
5. Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace (2 Timothy 2:22)
6. Do everything to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)
7. Be sober-minded, endure suffering, and do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5)
8. Strive for peace and holiness (Hebrews 12:14)
9. Put away wickedness (James 1:21)
10. Hold fast to the Word of Life (Philippians 2:16)

This is not, by any means, a comprehensive list. However, all of God’s commands throughout the entirety of the Bible can be summed up like this: glorify the Father, follow the Son, and listen to the Spirit. Everything else will follow.

About the Author

Caylie Allen is a Writing major at Liberty University with the intention of teaching upper school English after her projected May 2024 graduation.

Her favorite verse is, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NKJV)