"Passivity is a plague among Christians. It's not just that we don't do anything; it's that we feel spiritual for not doing anything. We imagine that our inactivity is patience and sensitivity to God's leading. At times it may be; but it's also quite possible we are just lazy."
-- Kevin DeYoung, Just Do Something
No one should despise passivity more than Bible-believing, God-fearing Christian men and women and yet few people are more passive than Bible-believing, God-fearing Christian men and women. Christians have a peculiar habit of congratulating themselves for taking so long to do anything or for belaboring every decision by subjecting it to never-ending prayers. These are rarely prayers for faith to act on what they know is right or faith to act even if they don't know exactly what is right, but prayers to feel peace about whatever it is that they end up doing.
Many Christians, in fact, act ironically as though God meant for the primary expression of faith to be doubting and second-guessing. There is, of course, a time to pray and many Christians could benefit from submitting their daily decisions to genuine Christian contemplation; but after contemplation, they should, in faith, act. If they have sought wisdom and asked for help in prayer, conceded the possibility of their plans or motives being sinful and discovered no concerns, the best thing for them to do at that point is... something. To refuse to act at that point, is unbelief. It is faithless, lazy, gutless passivity. And that is not, contrary to popular Christian belief, a virtue.
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