Just Do It
In 1988, the shoe company, Nike, increased its share of North American sport-shoe sales from 18% to 43% by using a single slogan: Just Do It! Since then this slogan has appeared alongside Nike’s “swoosh” logo. Though this slogan was coined for Nike’s use in advertising, it has been used on T-shirts, in motivational speeches and general conversation. Just Do It is the push from spectator to player, from being fearful to bold and from head knowledge to experience. It emphasizes the importance of decisive initiatives and self-leadership. Although this slogan can be used to rock any kind of inertia, it is important to just do the right thing.
The right thing to do is what God deems as right. We call this truth. The genuine Christian understanding of truth is that it is that which is absolute, unnegotiable, irrefutable, incontrovertible and unchanging. If something is true, it is always true and can never be untrue; no matter what the circumstances. It is the Truth that sets us free from fear, unbelief, instability and sin. Truth is more than a belief system or concept, but a person. Jesus said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life…” (John 14.6) Jesus is Truth. What He says is true and what He does the right thing. Paul wrote to Timothy that God desires all people everywhere to be saved and to come into the knowledge of the truth, (I Tim. 2.4), meaning to come into a living experience with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
It seems to me that many have camped at the pursuit of truth. As Paul says, they are ever learning, but never coming into the knowledge, or experience, of truth. (II Tim. 3.17) These are those who know a lot, read a lot, discuss a lot, but never put it into practice. King Solomon said that the writing of books is endless and to dedicate to this is wearisome to the soul. He concluded that truth and wisdom comes by hearing the voice of one Pastor. (Ec. 12.9-11) Once again, truth is singular and to be known by experience. Truth expressed, or spoken, is what we find in the Scriptures. It is God’s Word to us. It can be studied, meditated on and contemplated, but if not put in practice it comes to nothing. It is like the person who knows to drive a car, but never drives. What is the difference between him and the person that does not know how to drive?
There is a tendency today, in many parts of the Body of Christ, to seek a more contemplative path of spirituality. This leads to a kind of mysticism that seeks ultimate reality, spiritual truth and a knowledge of God through subjective experiences of meditation and contemplation. This may have some benefits, but cannot stand alone. One cannot just think about what Jesus said, but must do it. James said that faith without works is dead. (James 2.26) When Jesus said to “Go into all the world”, then we need to Just Do It. When the Bible says to “Pray without ceasing”, or, “Love one another”, or, “Forgive”, then we need to Just Do It. We don’t need one more seminar, one more discussion group or one more meeting. Just do it! The putting into practice of what the Word says is essential to knowing Jesus. In fact, the Bible says to know to do good and not do it is sin. (James 4.17) So stop waiting for the right time. Just do it! Stop vacillating between two opinions. Just do it!
Scriptures to meditate on:
Ec. 12.9-11; I Tim. 2.4; II Tim. 3.17; I Kings 18.21; James 2.26; 4.17.