Do Good

A mustard seed is 2 millimeters in diameter

Last year, my friend and I decided to go on a journey to find God. We hoped this would bring us closer to Him and help us guide others to Christ. It all began with us trying to discover our calling. We had just realized how powerful prayer truly is. Quick side story: another friend of ours needed knee surgery and was stressed because her insurance wouldn't cover it. The three of us prayed together in my living room, with humble faith, trusting God would answer. And He did. Our friend still thinks it was something special we did, like our prayers were more important than anyone else's. But really, we just learned about how amazing our God is. 

If you haven't caught on yet, one of my favorite verses is Philippians 4:6. It basically gives us a game plan. Let's break it down. First off, don't stress. Step one, about anything. Sounds easy, right? Step two, in every situation, pray. So, how do we pray? The verse says with thanksgiving. Then, it wraps up with making your requests known to God. At first, I was like, why do I need to do that if I'm already praying? The Bible says He knows my prayers even before I say them. What this really means is we should go to God first, not everyone else. We should wait for His answer instead of trying to solve it ourselves. If you know me, waiting is not my strong suit!

Waiting is tough, no doubt about it. So, what do we do while we're stuck waiting? If I'm in line at a store, the DMV, or the doctor's office, I've got three options. First, I can just scroll through my phone and zone out until it's my turn. Second, I might try starting a conversation, especially if the person next to me is older. People my age tend to keep to themselves. Third, I can grumble about how long it's taking and be in a bad mood the whole time. I've done all of these, honestly. Sometimes, waiting is hard like when I'm at a fast-food place, super hungry, and the person in front of me can't decide what to order at McDonald's. Just get a Double Cheeseburger already! I'm sure we've all been in situations like that.

The Philippi church Paul was writing to were the early Christians of the first century. They were among the first to find salvation through the stories of what Jesus did. Just like us, they weren't there to see it all happen. Paul wanted to guide them on what to do while waiting for God to respond. He aimed to encourage them, assuring them that God would answer their prayers. Paul wanted them to find joy in Christ by growing their faith and strength. He taught them how and when to pray—basically, all the time. He even said to hold nothing back and keep telling God what you need. This was to motivate and energize the church to pour out their requests to God and make them known to Him. 

So, what should we do while we're waiting? My friend and I, while we were seeking God, came up with some catchy phrases to help us remember lessons from the Bible. I know, sounds cheesy, but trust me, you'll remember this phrase more than the story about the Philippian church. It goes, "Do good while you wait." Pretty straightforward, right? Let's focus on the action word here: Do. It means you've told God what you need, and now you're actively waiting. Good reflects the nature of Jesus—not just being nice or kind, but embodying God's character. (Think Fruit of the Spirit) I recently learned about the word Hesed, which is Hebrew for steadfast love. (You should look it up!) Doing good means doing what you can to follow Christ with full faith, knowing He'll answer your prayers. That's how you build your faith—by believing.

Someone once told me that when you knock on God's door, you should expect Him to answer. Have you ever just strolled into a family member's house without knocking? Like, you just walk right in as if you live there? I used to do that all the time at Nana's. Honestly, I didn’t even realize she had a door because it was always open. God wants us to knock; we can't just approach Him like we own the place and demand things. We need to knock and remember who we're talking to—the Lord of Lords. I knew a woman who was the gentlest person I've ever met. People said she could be fierce, but she was always so quiet and humble. This woman could really pray. When she prayed, she spoke with authority, but what stood out to me was how much she thanked God. She spent more than half of her prayer just telling God how amazing and powerful He is, without asking for anything. She was really knocking on His door. I've tried to bring that into my own prayer life now. The second part is to expect Him to open the door. We need to have faith.

 In Matthew 17:20-21, the Bible mentions having faith as small as a mustard seed. I once thought this meant my faith was even smaller than a mustard seed, so I investigated. A mustard seed is about as thick as a fingernail. I questioned why I couldn't simply believe. However, this verse isn't suggesting we lack even a small amount of faith. It's not about focusing on ourselves or making us the center of the Bible. Instead, it highlights God's love and power. It tells us that God can use even the smallest amount of something to move mountains. Consider that. He loves you so much (hesed) that He doesn't require much from you to work through you. All we need is a little faith and belief. It's empowering! 

Prayer never ceases to blow my mind. It's incredible that God, who made everything, actually cares about even my smallest issues and wants to hear about them. We should always remember to bring our problems to God, have faith when we reach out to Him, and do good while we wait for His help. God is always working to make things better for us. (Romans 8:28) Let's trust in the God we serve.

Dear Elohim Shama (God who hears me)

I just want to thank you for being who you say you are, never changing your nature, but to be the meaning of love. That you can love us unconditionally, that word hesed or agape. I thank you for knowing how sinful nature is and always ready to forgive no matter the situation. God, I thank you for giving us a door to knock at through your son Jesus who died on the cross, so that I can have a way to speak to you. I thank you for sending your son. I thank you for the Word, that you leave us so many promises to follow and lean on. That you mapped out the plan of our lives for us within the bible, to follow you and believe. I thank you for the people in my life who have taught me about you, from when I was little to even now, I am always growing and learning more about how amazing you are. I pray that I can keep spreading your message to anyone who will listen (read). I pray that you can change lives through my words and use me. I pray that I give you honor and help to encourage and teach those like Paul did to the Philippi church. I pray that if I am anxious or worried Lord that you would take that from me. Make me of a renewed mind and spirit, give me the joy in knowing you keep your promises. God I pray that I can do good while I wait, that I can share your nature with anyone I meet. That they would know I am a believer just by the Holy Spirit inside of me, that overflows with praising you in everything that I do. I pray that the joy inside of me, the zeal I feel is that which is on fire for you. I pray that I can have a burning desire to be close to you, to read your word. I pray that I get lost in time just thinking about your goodness Lord. May I never forget. Never forget your promises and love. I never lose track of your will for my life and that I can die to myself everyday. I can repent and be made new everyday. I am a selfish sinner who needs a loving God. I am too busy, too stressed, underappreciated, taken for granted, struggling, and I need your joy and peace that passes all understanding. I need you first in my life. I pray right now that you will be first in all that I do. I pray now that I can know to go to you in prayer and that you will answer in your perfect timing. I give you all the praise, honor, glory, power. Thank you Lord. 

In Jesus Name, Amen