Become > Do
by Tim Hunter
If you have been a follower of Jesus for any amount of time, you’ve been there. We’ve all been there. We went to a Christian camp, or some kind of conference and came back all fired up to change the world for Christ. Or maybe you saw an inspiring Youtube video about injustice and the lostness of the world, and went away convinced that you would spend the rest of your life shaking the nations for the glory of God. Yet, if we fast-forward the tape of our lives to a week later, a day later, a minute later - not much changed. Why? Why is it that so many of us have so many bold and courageous dreams to change the world for God yet so few of us feel like we are actually making any impact at all on the world around us? I am convinced that in our idealistic zeal, we have forgotten the art of becoming. We live in a culture that celebrates the action but neglects the process.
We live in a culture that celebrates the action but neglects the process.
Sadly, this mindset has crept into the church. To put it in the language of Jesus: in our obsession with actions, we have forgotten how to abide. In a world of social media and technology that focuses on the big action, the vacation, the trip, the great meal; Jesus calls us to be more focused on becoming something. “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:7 Did you catch it? Jesus invites us to become someone in order to do things, rather than do things in an attempt to become someone. He calls us to become not just do. So, how does this happen?
My Own Journey
I remember when I first started following Jesus, I was obsessed with doing. I would spend lots of time dreaming about how I was going to move overseas as soon as I could to become a missionary. Or I would think about how I was going to write a book that became a bestseller. I was part of a small group that was studying a book called Radical, and we just thought we were all the most radical christians there were. You get the point, the list goes on. Yet, I had this ongoing frustration and lack of peace. I wanted to proclaim Christ’s message of love and peace to the world - but my relationships with those around me were filled with strife and a lack of love. I dreamt of preaching the gospel to thousands - but I struggled to see the gospel taking root in my own day to day life. It was when I began to understand that God desires to radically change who I was in the quiet, not just what I did at the climax of my life, that everything changed. When I began the process of letting him shape me into something is when things began to change. I had started the journey of becoming with Jesus.
Fall in Love with the Process
Then what's my encouragement to you? One sentence: Fall in love with the process.
Our journey with Jesus is a walk. Not a sprint. Fall in love with the process of letting him change you from the inside out and you will see transformation. Ask: “What would it look like for God to shape me into something in my Monday afternoons, and my Thursday study sessions, and weekends with friends?” Ask questions like “What does it look like to become a devoted disciple of Jesus with my phone habits, my exercise, my friendships, my generosity.”
One of my favorite all time quotes is by Gustaf Wingren, “Sanctification is hidden in the offensively ordinary tasks.” I am convinced that before we can ever change the world, we must let God change us in the moments that no one in the world will ever know about. When we fall in love with the process of walking with Jesus, we will find that our goal will change from some future events we hope to accomplish and will simply be Him. Let being with Jesus be your goal and all of your wildest dreams for accomplishing great things will be surpassed - I promise….better yet, Jesus promises. “... he it is that bears much fruit.”
Yes, dream big. Have goals. Long to see God use your life in wild and miraculous ways. Just don’t forget His plan for that to happen: become. I invite you to walk this journey with me. Become > Do.