“Be” Don’t “Do”

Kyle Stutzman

Have you ever been in a situation where you ask yourself, “what do I do?” Or maybe in your faith you feel that way. You find yourself at a point thinking about how you have been a Christian for an x amount of time. You know Jesus loves you, and now what do I do? Or you start wondering about your life and purpose, and you ask yourself that very question, and it can be totally crippling. “What am I supposed to do?” It’s terrifying!

Or how about this kind of situation: You have a family member sick and hurting. You have a loved one struggling with severe depression, and you aren’t sure how to help. You ask yourself what you are supposed to “do.” And I’ll tell you this, the question of what to do has been a crippling one for me. I’ve focused my life around the idea of “doing.” I’m a husband, a pastor, a brother, and a son. And in those roles I’ve felt the need to “do” something. Issues others face, sorrows they carry, I try to help and do something. But all that “doing” got me was a ton of anxiety. I hit a wall of my own helplessness. I hit a wall of realization: I am powerless. There is so little that I’m actually in control of. Life carries on, and when I tried to control it, I wound up hurting people around me, and I wound up hurting myself. This is where a massive paradigm shift happened for me. To stop “doing” and to start “being.” 

I realized I was trying to be the savior of the people around me. I felt a responsibility to carry things I was never meant to carry. And what I realized is God wasn’t calling me to be a savior. Because Jesus Christ already did the saving. He does the saving. He will always do the saving. What can I do? Nothing. God does everything! So what can I be? 

I can be loving. I can be caring. I can be patient. Instead of asking myself: “what can I do?” I shifted my question to “How can I be present?” I think most of the time what God is asking of us is to be. To be present, and to love people deeply. I’ve found so much freedom and joy and fruitfulness in this concept. When I enter into deep conversations with those struggling, I don’t wonder about what I’m supposed to do, or how I’m supposed to fix it. I simply think of how I can be present with them in this moment, love them, and be a support to them. I believe this is a huge part of the call God has for all of us. 

So remember this: God loves you, God values you. You have been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus. He knows all your worries and concerns. He knows what everyone around you is going through. He loves them more than you ever could. And He loves you more than you can possibly imagine! So take some time today, and process about how you can shift your focus from “doing” to “being.”

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31