Just Do Something: Cultivating a Bias Toward Action

Synergy is a popular word in the business world. Companies like Starbucks and Barnes & Noble have shown how profitable collaboration can be. Who wouldn’t want to sip coffee while flipping through a good book? Each company plays its role, and both benefit by working together.

• Christians on mission with God are actually working synergistically, too. Yes, God single-handedly brought us from death to life and saved us — a monergistic work of grace. But now, as his children, we are invited to partner with him to accomplish his purposes in the world — a synergistic calling!
• That’s what Paul was getting at when he wrote, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you” (Phil. 2:12b–13a). Paul had a deep conviction in God’s sovereignty, and yet he was a tireless, purposeful worker. He once said, “I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10b).

Too often, we swing to the extremes — either passively waiting on God to do everything or exhaustively trying to do everything on our own. However, the healthiest and most fruitful Christians — and churches — are the ones who find this balance: they trust fully in God and move boldly in obedience. They cultivate a bias toward action and trust that God will direct their steps along the way.

• What keeps us from moving? Here are five common obstacles that often paralyze us — and how we can overcome them.

How to overcome common obstacles to action

1. Overly complicated decision-making structures

• “Let’s form a subcommittee to discuss whether we should have a meeting to plan the next meeting…”
• In the work of church renewal, it is easy to fall into the trap of over-structuring our churches. This can lead to analysis paralysis. Balancing appropriate oversight with nimbleness and trust is the best way forward. Let’s simplify where we can, set ambitious goals, and offer leaders space to run.

2. Fear of Failure

• “What if I mess this up?”
• Fear often disguises itself as faithfulness. We hesitate because we want to get everything right. However, when we step out in obedience, even if we fail, God is faithful to catch us, redirect us, and use even our missteps for his glory. Further, failing is finding out what does not work… and that is a key step toward discovering what does work! Paul and his team made decisions, got moving, and trusted the Spirit to close doors when necessary (Acts 16:7–8). We can do the same as we work toward church renewal.

3. Theological misunderstanding

• “If God is sovereign, I don’t need to do anything.”
• A misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty can lead to passivity. But Scripture calls us to a living, active faith. God is working in us — but we’re also called to work out what he is doing (Phil. 2:12–13). Paul never saw grace as an excuse for laziness. Grace energized him. He knew that God’s power fuels our participation; it doesn’t replace it.

4. Perfectionism

• “If it’s not perfect, it’s not worth doing.”
• We often want to wait until everything is polished and perfect before taking the next step — but that moment rarely comes. Instead, we should celebrate progress, not perfection. Small steps, done in faith, add up. Often, getting started is the hardest part, so let’s shift our focus from “getting it right” to “getting it going.”

5.  Isolation and independence

• “I’ll just do it myself.”
• Going it alone may seem efficient, but it’s rarely effective — and it’s never biblical. God designed us to need each other and to journey beside one another. Paul’s ministry was always done with companions and collaborators. Community brings wisdom, encouragement, accountability, and joy. Don’t let pride or fear keep you from walking the road of church renewal with others.

Where do you find yourself stuck? Are you caught overthinking, paralyzed by fear, or are you weighed down by perfectionism? Maybe you’ve drifted into spiritual passivity, waiting on God when he’s already given you what you need to move? Or maybe you’re trying to do everything alone?

• Here’s the good news: God is working in you, and he is inviting you to work with him. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just need to take the next step, knowing that God will guide, correct, strengthen, and sustain you along the way!