Another thing I learned from Steve Stewart….

We were in Vancouver, in my living room, looking out at the houses across the street. “How would I reach my neighbours?” was my question for him. We lived in a predominantly Punjabi neighbourhood and it wasn’t at all obvious to me. He said I need to start serving them in some way.

“Oh, like in the fall I could get my kids together and we could rake their leaves.” – “No, not in the fall. Start now.”

“Oh, like during the Canada Day celebration at the park, I could get a bunch of people from church to organize soccer for the kids.” – “No, not next month. Start now.”

“Oh, like this weekend I could grab some people and pick up garbage on our street” – “No, not this weekend. Start now.”

“I’m stumped.” – “Let’s go to the store and get some fruit and hand it out door to door and see if anyone needs prayer.”

“Oh, you mean right now!?” – He already had his shoes on.

That’s when he explained to me that the western church is cursed with thinking everything should be done “soon” instead of “now“. We’re good at planning, and it puts us in a comfortable position. But now, like right now, is almost a foreign concept. Yet now is the only time we can actually do anything.

Ask the Holy Spirit what he would have you do right now and then try it out and see how it feels.

Could you do it? Or did something delay you? If so, pray into that and get free. Let’s live in the now.