A Human Doing or a Human Being?

Socrates

Here are some famous quotes on doing and being.  At least some should be familiar.

To do is to be. (Socrates)

To be is to do. (Jean-Paul Sartre, Plato)

Do-be-do-be-do. (Frank Sinatra)

To be or not to be. (William Shakespeare's Hamlet)

Scooby Dooby Doo. (Scooby Doo)

I am what I do. (Martin Buber)

Yabba Dabba Doo. (Fred Flinstone)

I think, therefore I am. (Rene Descartes)

I yam what I yam. (Popeye)

Being and doing. Doing and being.  I have heard some really interesting and creative devotional messages on the concept of “being.”  The idea is that sometimes we get so busy doing things (sometimes even really good things), that we need to take some time to simply “be.”   It’s often an encouragement to rest, to take a break, to experience God’s peace, to meditate on God’s Word, or to spend some time in quiet – much like we have our time of “meditation, communion, and prayer” each week in our worship services at Rose Drive.  The conclusion has often gone something like this: “after all, God made us to be human beings, not human doings.” 

I don’t know about you, but I need those times of rest.  Time to be quite, to listen to the Lord, to pray, to relax... to be.  For me, I get those times in a variety of ways and places: in the evening when I read my Bible before I go to bed; in the morning when I am praying, reading, or writing in my journal; when I’m on vacation sitting and looking out over a beautiful lake; when I’m at the church studying to prepare a message; sometimes when I’m playing golf (I can’t honestly say I experience peaceful “being” every time I’m playing golf, but sometimes... you know what I mean if you’ve ever played.); and I really do experience it often in our worship services.  Again, not always in all of those places, but often.  However, that really isn’t all there is to it. 

God doesn’t only want us to be humans who “are” – He wants us also to be people who do things for His glory and the good of others!

Last weekend I shared a verse in our worship services that has been convicting to me. It’s from John 13:17, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”  Jesus said this to His disciples right after He washed their feet in the Upper Room.  As He performed this menial task, serving them with a towel around His waist, some of them didn’t get it.  They didn’t understand why Jesus would do such a thing.  He didn’t make His point clear until after He had finished doing this act of love and humility.  That is when He said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you and example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15).  Jesus wanted them to be His disciples... but among other things that meant doing acts of service and sacrificing for one another. 

Bottom line, it wasn’t enough that the disciples knew the right thing... they needed to do it.  So do you and I. 

What does that mean for you today?  What is it that God has been talking about to you in terms of the First Things First emphasis?  Here is what I’ve been thinking about: It’s not enough to simply know that God wants us to Worship, Connect, Grow, Serve and Share.  I need to be doing it.  Actively.  As a part of my daily life.  As a part of who I am. 

I am thankful that many people have shared with me their testimonies of how the Lord has spoken to them during this series.  Many have taken steps of faith to join groups, to serve, to worship, to share Christ, to worship God with greater focus, and to read their Bibles more to grow in their faith.  That is fantastic.  Perhaps I’ll share some of those in a later post.

Let’s BE people who DO what is right.  Let’s aim to BE faithful followers of Jesus Christ, putting His Word into practice in our daily lives more and more and more!