Proactive vs. Reactive

I am going to get my car serviced today. It is a few miles overdue, but within safety limits. This is a proactive step in caring for the needs of my car. I could avoid getting this done until a red light comes on, but if I kept doing that it would limit the life and the quality of performance of my car.

My life like my car needs to get serviced regularly. Physically I need food and exercise. Emotionally I need community and care. Mentally I need conversation and intellectual challenges. Spiritually, and most importantly, I need divine interaction and intervention.

I say that the spiritual condition of my life is most important not because of the profession I am a part of, but because of the confession of faith I belong to. As a confessing blood bought Bible believing evangelical Christian, I understand that my soul is what matters most. 1st Timothy 4:8 explains that, “physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things," And Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen what was best by choosing to invest her time in a spiritual activity rather than a vital and important physical one (Luke 10:41-42).

God has given us directions in Scripture and an example in His Son as to how we can best care for our soul. We are to gather with other believers for worship every week (Hebrew 10:24-25). We are to spend time with God in prayer and private Bible study every day (Mark 1:35). We are to be involved in a Bible Study with a group small enough to meet in a home that we can love, pray, and care for (Acts 2:42-47). We are to actively share our faith and make disciples with those near and far from us (Matthew 28:19-20). We are to be on our guard against the Devil (1 Peter 5:8-9).

As important as the care of our soul is, we cannot escape the fact that we are spiritual beings experiencing a physical reality. We can not divorce our soul from our body, which means the condition of our emotional, mental, and physical state is going to have a direct influence on our spiritual lives. This means we must be mindful of what is happening with our hearts, minds, and bodies.

The Bible teaches us to be vigilant in providing for the health of entire self. The heart is to be protected (Proverbs 4:23) The mind is to be improved (Romans 12:2). The body is God’s temple and needs to be in good condition (1 Corinthians 6:19).

You are free to wait until a relationship goes bad, your mind grows dull, your heart gets broken or even worse cold, your body breaks down, and your soul shrivels away before you do something, but that would be unwise. Being reactive will rob you of too many good things. Be proactive and provide God a life that is useful to Him. He bought you. Live a life worthy of the calling of Christ (Ephesians 4:1).

Don’t make excuses. Get it done! (This last sentence is for me.)