Don't Just Stand There; Go!

 "'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'" Acts 1:11

   By the time 2020 mercifully drew to a close, I was just standing there, metaphorically, depleted, defeated and depressed. Media of any kind felt like poisonous gasses seeping in beneath my closed door so I deleted it from my life and embraced social distancing for once. It felt good to lick my wounds.

    Peter, James and John and the gang had bigger reasons than me for wanting to hole up in their upper room after Jesus was crucified. Even after the resurrection, they still floundered as they listlessly attempted to return to their former lives. But things would never be the same for them. 

    That's exactly how I feel. There's no going back to my former life of comfort. There's been a shift, as tectonic plates in an earthquake, that's left me wondering what to do now. 

    I found my cue in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) when Jesus told his disciples to "Therefore, go!" Also, as the verse above states, the two angels had to prod those who witnessed Jesus ascend into heaven. I smile to imagine them saying, "Don't just stand there; Get going! There's work to be done."

    There's another cue in the Parable of the Bags of Gold found in Matthew 25: 14-30. God has given me bags of gold which equate to opportunities, talents, ambitions and wealth to fund my mission but I can't do that in a catatonic state. I need to open my Bible and get busy. Is there someone I can call or mail a card to? Perhaps I could mentor a younger Christian or write a check to City Mission. I can't bury my bag of gold and hope for the best. I have to get busy, too.

    That Serenity Prayer comes to mind: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Turn off the news feeds. Use your time wisely. Stop listening to slander or gossip and start investing your "bag of gold" for the kingdom that never ends.