When I was between twelve and sixteen years old, there was a phrase I seemed to hear everywhere at church:
“I am aiming to…”
People used it all the time. They would say, “I am aiming to read my Bible more,” or, “I am aiming to pray more.” Others were aiming to volunteer, witness to people, attend Bible study, or become more involved in church activities.
At first, it sounded positive. After all, the people had good intentions. But after hearing the same phrase week after week, year after year, our pastor, Marty, began to notice a pattern. Many people were always aiming, but never quite getting around to doing.
One Sunday, Pastor Marty addressed the issue in his sermon.
He talked about how a person can aim at a target forever and never hit it. You can line up the sights, steady your hands, and focus on the bullseye, but nothing happens until you pull the trigger.
Then he delivered a line that I have never forgotten:
“Quit aiming and shoot already.”
His point was simple. Good intentions are not the same as action. It is not enough to aim to read the Bible. At some point, you have to open it and read it. It is not enough to aim to pray. You have to pray. It is not enough to aim to serve others. You have to step forward and serve.
To reinforce his message, he quoted a verse that fit perfectly:
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
James 1:22
That verse cuts straight to the heart of the matter. It is possible to know what we should do, talk about what we should do, and even intend to do it someday. But God’s Word calls us to be doers, not merely hearers.
That sermon has stayed with me for decades. Whenever I catch myself saying that I am “aiming to” do something important, I remember Pastor Marty standing in the pulpit, reminding us that eventually we have to stop talking about what we plan to do and start doing it.
Sometimes the difference between success and failure is simply moving from intention to action. The difference between growing spiritually and remaining where we are can be as simple as taking the first step of obedience.
And whenever I hear the phrase “I am aiming to,” I still smile and remember Pastor Marty’s challenge:
“Quit aiming and shoot already.”
