Lord, What Do You Want Me To Do?
A couple of days ago I was writing about the fruit of repentance. I said that it is a change of mind leading to a change of life. It is about both how we think and what we do. John tells his hearers ‘don’t just say……’ (Luke 3:8). It’s not primarily about what you say, but what you do. Action, not just words. (though tomorrow if I get chance I will share about the fruit of what we say). That’s why immediately following these words three different groups of people ask John ‘what should we do?’ (vv.10-14). It is also why in Matthew’s gospel Jesus speaks of the fruit of false prophets being shown by ‘the way they act’ (Luke 7:16). The wise man puts the Word of God into practice (Matt.7:24). We are blessed in what we do (John 13:17; James 1:25). And the renewal of the mind enables us to know the will of God - so that we can do it (Rom.12:2). Like Jesus we live simply to do the will of God (Heb.10:7).
The fruit of repentance then is in what we do. It is interesting that for the three different groups who asked John what they should do, it was different for each of them. The Christian life is not about following a set religious routine. It’s about hearing and doing the will of God in our own life now, today. I am finding it helpful with all the many demands upon my time, and different pressures that can set the agenda, to start my day simply by asking God, ‘Lord, what do you want me to do today?’