Good intentions are often followed by good excuses. We want to follow Jesus as the folks in our gospel lesson did, but something gets in the way. We let our good intentions languish while we do other things that somehow seem more important at the time. We still intend to get back to what we were called to do, but the more time elapses, the more our call tends to fade from our thoughts and the more likely other good reasons to delay capture our attention.

If only we could be as responsive to God as we are to our text messages, our cell phones, our emails, the Holy One would be dancing with joy. Unfortunately, we tend to think we are too busy to take time to be with the Divine. We all too often get up running and don’t stop until we collapse in bed at night, all the while assuming, of course, that we are doing what we have to do, taking care of our responsibilities and commitments. Not only does such non-stop activity play havoc with our health, it precludes our developing an intimate relationship with God. Any intimate relationship, whether corporal or spiritual, takes time and attention. In all our relationships, it is well to remember that old saw: “Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

It seems that, rather than having good intentions, prompt action is what’s called for. That’s what in our tradition has been called obedience—not a very popular word in our independence-oriented culture, but important for our spiritual growth. A quick response to however we may experience the presence of God in our lives strengthens our relationship with the Holy One. Good intentions alone do not suffice. Make that phone call, visit that neighbor, pick a bouquet from your yard and take it to that friend in the hospital, send that card, put together a casserole for that grieving family, pray for those who come to mind, you’ll be glad you did.