1/16/2012

Over Christmas break, I read the book The 10 Second Rule: Just Do The Next Thing You're Reasonably Certain Jesus Wants You To Do.

This book is an easy read. In fact, I read the entire thing in one sitting - during the drive to Wisconsin. I really liked the book. It was very easy to understand and contained lots of stories that kept it real.

The basic principle is just that, basic. If you're a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit living within you. He prompts you now and then to do certain things. Maybe it's a warning to avoid going down a sinful path. Maybe it's a specific command to do something, like help someone stranded on the side of the road. The author is simply asking us to act and to do so within the next 10 seconds. That is, don't over-analyze what you think you're hearing God say. Don't talk yourself out of action. The longer you wait, the more your reason will kick in and convince yourself that it's too late to call that person now, or that wasn't really God talking to you, or someone else will help them if you don't, etc. I've heard it called "the paralysis of analysis." We tend to over-analyze everything and not want to act until we're 100% sure of what to do but that keeps us from acting at all!

I was challenged by the book, to take those little promptings and to truly do it. In the past I have trained myself to disobey rather than to obey. I am an old dog needing to learn new tricks, to be re-trained.

Last week I was at Meijer getting some groceries. I had numerous Meijer gift cards I'd received for Christmas, so my plan was to spend those all up. As I checked out, I didn't end up buying enough to totally max out the cards, surprisingly. So I was putting the cards away, when I saw an acquaintance come into the store. She is a mom of 5 children, 2 of whom are infant twins that were just released from the hospital around Christmastime. I immediately felt a prompting to give her my gift cards. I did. I obeyed. She hugged me and with tears repeated over and over, "God bless you! God bless you!"

My daughter was with me that evening. We walked out of the store and she said "That was fun!" I want her to see that obeying those promptings from God can be fun. It can be exhilarating. It can also be scary. It can push us out of our comfort zone. But how wonderful to be used of Him, to be His hands and His feet, to obey when He wants us to share His resources with others.

So, I recommend this book as a quick read that will encourage you to be bold, to just do it... and do it within the next 10 seconds!