The Time to Act is Now

“Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus … will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”    —Acts 1:11

How quickly things can change. The Monday before Thanksgiving, my dear wife fell off a two-foot stepladder, dislocated, and broke her ankle. A special thanks to our surgeon, Dr. Katz, for taking such good and quick care of my Honey. “What?” “No weight-bearing for eight weeks.”

My wife who loves every holiday but especially Christmas was put on the sidelines for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. One moment everything is fine, and the next, life goes into a holding pattern. By no fault of our own, our lives are, at times, legitimately put on hold. An illness, a layoff, a breakup, or any number of human crises may put us on the sidelines.

Sometimes however, we take ourselves out of the game of life. Our fears, laziness, or hesitations keep us from taking the step of faith that will lead us to the next level on our journey of faith. The Lord tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you … to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). God’s plans for us almost always involve an action step on our behalf. God provides, but we must decide. Our choice to participate in God’s plan for our lives always involves a decision of our will and the action of our hands and feet. We decide with our will to say, “Yes!” to God’s way. Then in obedience, we follow through with the required action step of faith.

A new year has come. What are you waiting for? Jesus (Emmanuel—God with us) has come. Why wait? He ascended to the Father, possesses all power, and promises to be with us to the end of the age. Why not go forward with Him? The Holy Spirit (God within us) has come and empowers us so we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. Why not accept the promise of the Father and move in the strength He provides?

The message from the angel to the disciples at Jesus’ ascension is a good word for us today. Jesus had just given His final commands to His disciples and ascended to His Father in heaven. The disciples simply stood there dumbfounded staring up to heaven. Two angels chided them, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?” We might ask ourselves, “What are we waiting for? Why are we standing or sitting around?” Start that new job, begin that new ministry, find your way back to church, make that apology, or invite that neighbor to your house or church. The time to act is now.

The year 2013 will never come around again. This New Year might offer that perfect opportunity for you. You will never know unless you give it a try. If we sincerely call upon the Lord for help and direction, God will answer. James reminds us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt” (James 1:5-6). Many of you have asked and received an answer. Now is the time for you to act. Get up and do it. It’s a New Year, and the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ, goes with you.