February of 2018 saw on of the most horrific events in our nation’s history, the shooting in Las Vegas. I know that there still people mourning the dead today. At that time many celebrities took to Twitter to share with us their great wisdom regarding how to fix the world, celebrities like Mark Ruffalo and Kim Kardashian and others. Mark Ruffalo (ever the opinionated) tweeted:

Prayers without accordant action are silent lies told to oneself, heard by no God, amounting to nothing. Action is the language of truth, the prayers of the Saints.

Also, Kim Kardashian tweeted:

We owe it to our children and our teachers to keep them safe while at school,’ …Prayers won’t do this: action will. Congress, please do your job and protect Americans from senseless gun violence.

(both quotes from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5393973/Kim-Kardashian-leads-celebs-demanding-action-Florida.html)

Despite their incredible goodness and knowledge and importance, I disagree with both of them. I disagree with them but I am not judging them as good or evil or faithful or not.

Another example of this was with Brigette Gabriel. I am a big fan of Mike Huckabee and regularly watch his show on Saturday night. A few weeks ago, he had Brigette Gabriel, the founder of Act for America on his program. She was plugging her new book entitled, RISE In Defense of Our Judeo-Christian Values. However, inn defending our Judeo-Christian values, she said that you can wish or you can pray or hope but you need to get up and act.

I disagree with her about that too and I was hoping that Govenor Huckabee was going to call her out on that. Again, I am not saying that she is or is not sincere in her faith or good or bad. On that one point, I strongly disagree.

We need to act, YES. However, we need to do the right thing.

Now, I know that the Lord does not always give us an answer from Heaven regarding the absolute thing to do. I also know that what we think in our hearts the Lord wants us to do, may not always be what He wants us to do. I also realize that sometimes the Lord wants us to do things that make no sense to us. It is hard to know the difference. I also remember in the gospels where the disciples went to the Lord regarding the feeding of the 5000. He told them, “You give them something to eat!” (Matthew 14:16, Mark 6:37).  If you were there, it would not have made any sense to you, either!

However, I look back on history, where people of faith have made huge and devastating mistakes in the realm of actions that were not well thought-out, had good intentions but bad implementations, and just ended up causing more harm than good. Examples of this may include those who realize that abortion is evil and decide to commit more evil by shooting other human beings. Another example of this maybe those who in the middle ages, pushed, “witches” off a cliff to see if they had supernatural powers, ala the Simpsons. Their only way of escape being a good Christian death.

Now, I also realize that not everyone is called to a life of 24 hour prayer but I do respect those who are called to a life of quiet contemplation.  I also respect the Amish and other separate communities. Their quiet contemplations and inactions have led to incredible expressions of God’s love and forgiveness. Their actions and lack thereof hold a certain amount of wisdom. However, not everyone is called to that but we are all called to know the mind of God through His Word, His followers, and quiet reflection.

Praying is not wishing or hoping or even using the gift of intentionality.

 It is sweet communion with the Master of the Universe. It helps to give clarity as you align your thoughts with His and see the world and events like the shooting in Las Vegas and more recent events the way that He wants you to see them. So to take the carpenter’s axiom of measuring twice and cutting once, I encourage you to pray twice, maybe three or four times, think and wait on the Lord and then act!

Psalm 16:7 I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.

————————————————————–W.