just do something

Our youth group just finished reading through the book Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung. It was a great read (for the second time for myself) and very beneficial for our youth group. We used small group time to work through the book, which means I read and discussed with a group of ninth grade girls. What a blessing they are to me!

I told my girls several times that I wish I had had this when I was their age. Yes, I had wonderful teaching and it has made me the woman I am today, but I too fell prey to this faulty belief about God's will for my life. I read the book for the first time at the end of college and it reshaped my decision making. I realized I don't have to get so bogged down by wondering if when I make one decision to do something am I knocking myself out of God's will for my life. I can make decisions based on my passions, which are God given, my desires, and what I want. Yes, there are things to consider when making major life decisions and I want to always make choices that line up with what scripture teaches, but I don't have to agonize about being outside of God's will for my life at every turn and that's a very freeing feeling! So glad these young woman in my small group are hearing this sooner rather than later!

To kind of give you an idea about the book...it was a wonderful guide through the Scriptures. It encouraged us to question our definition of God's will. The book points out three different types of God's will - His will of decree, His will of desire, and His will of direction. We seem to be most interested in His will of direction. We believe, for whatever reason, that we can figure out what He wants us to do with our lives - the right job, the right spouse, the right house in the right city, the right school - and if we don't figure out what is the right thing for us then we are not "in the center of God's will". DeYoung's book seeks to disspell the myth of being in the "center of God's will".

It teaches us Biblical principles on how to discern God's will, which is bringing Him glory in whatever it is we decide to do.

It encourages us to remember that God has given us passions and talents and He is pleased with us when we decide to use those for His glory.

Most importantly, it shows us the importance of getting rid of our tendency to over-do it when making a decision and to just do something for the glory of God. Search the scriptures, pray, seek wise council, and then for goodness sake...just do something.

Click here to get more info on purchasing your own copy.

Also worth checking out is Kevin DeYoung's blog. Get there by clicking here.