Action Speaks Louder than Words

“Arise and shine for the Light has come at last”.

This little church chorus takes me back to my childhood, growing up in the Caribbean.  Each morning, my mum would usually wake us up way before daybreak to get ready and begin our journey to school.

When she woke us, her expectation was for us to move!  No dawdling.  We had to get up and begin the process for the day.  She expected action, action, action. 

So, it is in a way with this song. It requires an action. The action in the chorus is the word, “arise”, which means  wake up; get up; jump up, get to your feet – all action words.  The purpose for the action is the fact that the Light, Christ the Messiah, has come and brought salvation. 

In that He saved us, He gave us work to do before His return but, for some, complacency has set in and, for others, fear, lack of knowledge, lack of self-esteem, or something else has caused a slumber of sorts to settle.

This chorus is reminding us that it’s time to wake up, jump up, get into action because His return is nearer than when we first believed [Rom 13:11] and we need to be ready [Matt 24: 3 -14].  

I’ve taken this to heart because, for a while, I allowed the fear of the written word and public speaking to cripple me, to stop me from doing what He’s called me to do. 

I’ve had to awake to the fact that, if He said it, then I can do it – I’m writing this – and fear is not from God [2 Tim 1: 7]!  

He has anointed me to do this work and placed within me the fervency and passion to do it. I just had to be woken up to the fact that I can do it. Like Paul on the road to Damascus, I was woken up through a dream where I was told of what I would be missing – a raptured life with Christ – if I didn’t totally give my life to Him.  That light shone bright for me, especially as the Scripture tells me that I can do all things through Him! [Phil.4: 3].

Let me ask you.  Are you anything like I was? Have you allowed something to cripple you, or slow you down or prevent you from moving in the Lord? 

Let it go, today. 

Get up and let today be the turning point in your life. 

Be ready. He’s coming soon.

By Maxine Smith