just do what you're told!

"just do what you're told!" how often have i heard this? many times while growing up. it was often accompanied with, "don't ask questions." i hear it occasionally today, usually as a joke from a friend...and in my head i hear one friend in particular saying, "go pee now!" :-) and of course you're familiar with nike's successful 1980s marketing and advertising "just do it" campaign which got people buying by imploring them to take charge of their physical fitness.

i got thinking about this "just do" implication today...however, not in relation to the various "thou shalts" or "thou shalt nots," as in the very important and 'meant-to-be-kept' 10 commandments, or the various laws of the land which we're also expected to obey. instead, i got thinking about this expression as it relates to all the promises God has given that we can claim as our own...if we just do what we're told because, and this is my recurring theme, if we will, he will...

we're given not only the instruction--but the promise, i believe--that if we do certain things, perform specific actions, engage in particular behaviours, we will be the recipient of great things...yes, we will be rewarded when we diligently do whatever we're each supposed to be doing (hebrews 11:6). i can't tell you what the specifics are for you, but i can tell you in general that when we "seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously...he will give you everything you need" (matthew 6:33 nlt). luke adds this: "it gives your father great happiness to give you the kingdom" (12:32 nlt).

matthew goes on to say this: "keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. keep on seeking, and you will find. keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. for everyone who asks, receives. everyone who seeks, finds. and to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened" (7:7-8 nlt).

we're told to ask, seek, and knock, and when we do we'll receive, find, and have doors opened. if we don't do any of the aforementioned, we won't get the end result. and this reminds me about another story from the same friend i referred to at the beginning. one time she went to mcdonald's on her lunch break--a place she frequents regularly since it's close to her work. the kids' meal toys at the time were various finding nemo little stuffed things, i think. anyway, she approached the counter, placed her order, and then called the worker back and said, "can you hook me up with a fish?" meaning one of the little plush things. when she got back to work and opened her mcdonald's bag she pulled out her order...and a filet-o-fish! let me just add that we need to be specific in our asking. the more we give God to work with, the more likely we'll be to get what we're asking for...

too often we live beneath our privilege. i'm not talking about the sense of entitlement to which my generation all too often succumbs, because what we really deserve isn't what any of us would ever want; what i am talking about is living each day like we really believe that God cares...that we believe that "he himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need...for in him we live and move and exist" (acts 17:25 & 28 nlt). but the catch is that we must approach him: "the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion...he will...if you ask" (isaiah 30:18 & 19 nlt)

so, the way i see it, doing what we're told benefits us all the way around. just do it. no, it won't always be easy. goodness, does being told to "take up the cross, and follow" (mark 10:21 kjv) sound easy? not really. there's no promise that doing what we're told will always be easy. sometimes, like the rich young ruler, we'll have to give up the things we feel are so important and that we can't live without...but we have the promise of being led if we follow, of having life, and breath, and every need met...

i think i want to just do what i'm told...

oh, and back to my very first story. i was on a road trip with friends. we made a bathroom break and gas stop, but i didn't take advantage of the stop, even though i was told to "go pee now." well, not too far down the road guess who had to go? yup. you guessed it. me. trust me, do what you're told...even when you don't agree sometimes, or when you feel like it doesn't apply to you, or when you want to be defiant, or whatever...sometimes the person telling you what to do really is looking out for you...

so whatever it is you're supposed to be doing, do it. now.

;-)