What does Proactivity mean to you? Does it mean to be enthusiastic and eager to do something? Or maybe being a “professional” at whatever you do? I’m pretty sure some of these thoughts may have crossed your mind when reading this.
Think about the last time you faced a problem. How did you face it? Did you ask someone for help? Did you try to resolve the issue on your own? Or did you give up without trying? If you said “yes” to any of these, then we’ll my fellow brethren, you have yet to master the skill of “Proactivity”.
But - What is Proactivity? Proactivity refers to the act of taking initiative and responsibility for one's actions and decisions that endeavours to solve a problem before it has occurred. It involves being proactive rather than reactive, and anticipating and planning for future events. In Proverbs 22:3, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.” A Proactive person will be concerned about the long term and how to prevent certain unwanted things from happening, while a Reactive person is usually concerned about the short term and reacts towards various situations without making an effort to prevent it from happening. Mastering this skill of proactivity is no easy feat, and most of the time, one would find themselves becoming the “Reactive Person” again.
In light of this, how can one be Proactive and how does it relate to our life In and Out of Church?
Asking the Proactive Questions
In order to be proactive in and outside of church, we need to start asking ourselves what we can do to avoid facing certain problems. As Apostle Paul instructed the Church in Corinth, (2 Corinthians 13:5) “Examine yourself as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified!” Similarly, we should start examining ourselves and our situation. Instead of asking the “why” questions (reactive mindset) - (e.g. Why is this happening to me?), we should start asking the “what” questions (proactive mindset) - What can I do about this problem? What can I do to avoid facing such problems?
In Church, we as Christians seek to grow closer to God, while creating a close-knit church. Instead of absentmindedly coming to Church every Sunday, we need to start asking ourselves - What can we do to grow closer to God and create a more bonded Church? As we start asking ourselves these questions, we will slowly familiarise ourselves with the solutions to all our problems that are often overlooked - The Bible. Outside of church, we as Christians should also work to be the “light of the world” (John 8:12), and be role models in guiding the lost to Christ.
Here are some suggestions to how we can achieve that:
We should prioritise God and put him first in our hearts.
We should proactively read the bible when we are in doubt as the bible has principles which we can adopt.
We should apply what we have read from the bible into our daily lives and examine how we can live a better Christian life.
We can bond with our fellow Brethren through the Bible.
We can have fellowship with our Brethren through lunch, visits etc.
Evidently, if we desire to grow closer to God and create a bonded Church, other than hosting various church-based activities, we should also start building on our inter and intra-personal relationships, not only with God, but also with our Brethren. Asking these Proactive Questions will also make us more sensitive to the needs of our fellow Brethren, so that we can effectively help them in their Christian Journey.
Proactivity also applies when we sin or face difficult situations in life. In such cases, we need to be careful about how we react. It is a common mistake for one to start complaining about their situation and blaming it on others - everyone would face this at some point in their life. However, as Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29) Similarly, we need to be mindful of our words and reactions. We must adopt a proactive mindset and ask ourselves - What can I do to resolve this issue? Eventually, we will come to the conclusion that all the answers we need are found in the bible, and with our proactivity, we will reach this solution way faster.
Begin with the End in Mind
In order to be proactive, we need to clearly set out what our expectations and end goals are. So then, what must we do? What must I do to reach this goal? This may seem like such an arduous and formidable task, but the answer is not as difficult - that is, as Stephen Covey puts it, to Begin with the end in mind. This is a form of Proactivity which sparks our ability to metacognitively reflect on how we can achieve a goal in life. Paul writes in (Galatians 6:9), “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” We faint or become weary and quit when we lose sight of our goal. So, we must not lose sight of this important goal for all of us Christians - the end goal to go to heaven. In the process of reflection, we start getting closer and closer to our solutions. In Church, one notable aspect is Leadership. In order for us Christians to go to heaven, the Church is a key foundation we should not lose. To not lose this foundation, we must be proactive leaders of our church. Everyone - young and old, all have a part to play for the proper functioning of the Church. For example, we need to start volunteering to help out actively in the Church. Now is not too late!
Beginning with the end in mind allows us to identify the various aspects we need to take note of in achieving our Christian goals, and also find solutions to some problems that may come along the way.
In Philippians 3:14 - Paul affirms to “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Are we, as Christians, pressing on towards the goal of Salvation? Are we, as Christians, proactively planning our journey to salvation? Are we, as Christians, guiding others in the dark towards this light? As fellow Christians, we all have a part to play in Church. If we are not doing so, it is not too late. Let us take charge of our Christian Journey and guide others towards the light as Proactive Servants of Christ.