But I Have to Do Something!

Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. ~ Psalm 37:7 (NLT)

It was going to harm the church by destroying trust between its members. One of the leaders was quietly talking to church members behind the pastor’s back and gaining quite the following of disciples. Of course, this person was telling the members that the pastor and the other elders of the church were driving it into the ground and that she had the message from God Himself that she should be in charge. The elders and pastor found out about it and met to assess the situation and come up with a plan. After much discussion, it was clear there were no good options. If the person stirring up trouble was stripped of their leadership and asked to leave, half of the church would probably follow her out the door. If she was allowed to stay, the church would become so toxic it would destroy itself from the inside out. So, the team did the only thing they could; they hit their knees and began praying. After what seemed like hours of prayer, one of the team members heard the voice of God – literally. What profound thing did God have to say? “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” Once this word was shared with the rest of the elder team, they praised God and went home. Done. The very next day, the woman at the center of all the controversy sent the pastor an email informing him that she would no longer be attending the church, but wished us all the best. And, the members? They all stayed. God convinced them too that what she represented was false Christianity.

I was in that meeting of the elders. I heard that voice. And, let me tell you, it took a lot of courage for us to walk away with a simple “I’ve got this” from on high. Why? Because we are wired for action. We feel like we must do something – anything.

The issue is, when it comes to God’s church, and His Kingdom, He’s in charge, not us. So, if He says “Chill, I’ve got this.” That’s not just a reassurance, it’s a command from our leader.

King David, one of Israel’s greatest kings, was large and in charge. He made a lot of mistakes, but he never lost track of who he served. As he wrote in our psalm today, “Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.”

Today, and every day, surrender to God’s way of doing things. Follow His lead. Wait as long as He tells you to before acting. Trust me, He’s got this.