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Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Psalm 37:3

MANY CHRISTIANS TALK about trusting the Lord. Trusting him to meet their needs. Trusting him with their finances. Trusting him with their relationships.

“Trust in the LORD.” That’s the “spiritual” part. Too many, though, forget the other part of the verse: “Do good.” That’s the action part. Shelley looked at this verse and realized that she was missing this component. She trusted God and told him so. But she didn’t take much action. Thus, when she felt worried, she learned to take her situation to the Lord and put it in his hands, and then refused to listen to the worrisome thoughts that came into her mind.

When her neighbors rebuffed her for inviting them to church, saying they had no interest in it, she trusted the Lord to lead her. And he did, helping her apply the second part of the command. Over time, she gave help to them when a storm blew off their roof. She took them some meals when they suffered a death in the family. And when one of their kids got into trouble, she, an attorney, offered to help with the defense at a special rate. In time, Shelley’s neighbors realized that she backed up her talk with her walk; they came to her church and eventually became Christians.

God wants you to do good everywhere you go. You can’t blithely say, “I trust God” but do nothing else. God wants you to be his hands and feet and go out into the world doing good deeds everywhere you go. A nice tip for that waitress. A kind word for a coworker. A prayer for your pastor. God promises to work in all these situations and more, but first you must act.