Just Do It: Obedience to the Holy Spirit

 By: Lauren Thomas 

Shopping in a little boutique in Colorado this spring, I saw the cutest bag! It was a tote bag, plaid, with a ruffle all around the edge. I thought about buying it… until I saw the price tag. It was a little more than I was willing to spend. But I thought to myself, I could figure out how to make something like that.

Granted, it had been years since I’d done any sewing. But driving home from that trip, I determined to learn how to sew and sew a similar ruffle bag.

The weeks dragged on. I felt a bit anxious about my goal. The further I got from that trip, the more looming the task of learning to sew felt (see what I did there?). Sure, there was a second-hand sewing machine in my basement that I hadn’t touched…since receiving it years ago. (Literally. I had never even opened it.) I have that kind of anxiety that grows from perfectionism – if it can’t be perfect, why even try. That anxiety wasn’t the only thing growing. My discontentment was growing. I kept pinning sewing projects on Pinterest that I wanted to try. I felt discontentment with my lack of progress. I made excuses. Those excuses caused the discontentment to grow.

Until one day, driving my car, I had an epiphany. It went like this, Just do it! Stop making excuses. Stop worrying. Stop feeling discontented. Just do it!

So, I just did it. I got out the sewing machine. Read the instruction manual. Found a free pattern and video on YouTube. I sewed a doll dress. Then another. Then 2 pairs of shorts. And finally, my plaid, ruffle bag that started it all.

What does this have to do with anything?

It’s all a metaphor for obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit to make a change in your life? Maybe you even felt inspired to make the change, but over time obstacles arose. From excuses to discontentment (my life doesn’t look how I want it to), to anxiety and perfectionism (how could I ever make this change? What if I can’t? Might as well not even try…)

There’s a secret to hacking this. JUST DO IT!

Maybe it starts small. Maybe it starts slow. Maybe it’s not too perfect. But you will 100% feel better when you just obey whatever it is the Holy Spirit lays on your heart. And over time, all that “just doing it” will lead you to the final goal.

⁷ Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
⁸ do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
    on the day of testing in the wilderness,

Hebrews 3:7-8 ESV

Reflection:

What have you sensed the Holy Spirit leading you to change in your life? 

What keeps you from obeying (excuses, anxiety, perfectionism, etc.)? 

How can you take the first step toward obedience today?