I asked a friend in our college+twentysomethings ministry if he thought we were stagnant. He didn’t. He thought we were idle instead.
I agree.
Many churches and ministries are. Unfortunately, our C/20 ministry is no exception.
And I hate it. I hate sitting around and just talking about how we should live. About how things should be. How we should live missionally.
And then not really doing anything. Just being idle.
It’s the equivalent of this IMB commercial:
Idle-atry happens when we value the meeting over the mission. Our group over our God. Our comfort over our calling.
If a car sits idle for too long it eventually run out of gas. And then it not longer can fulfill its purpose in transportation. If I sit idle for too long then I will not fulfill the purposes that God has called me to.
God has been stirring some things inside of me lately. I will either go from zero to 60 in about 4.2 or just die inside. I pray for the former.
Hmmm.
Stagnant: Sitting in the front yard with your engine turned off (or the engine removed from the car - ha!).
Idle: Sitting in the driveway while you buckle the seatbelt and make sure the car is ready for transport.
Idle-atry: Sitting at a green light with a bunch of ticked-off people behind you, and calling it “waiting on the Lord.”
Good stuff!