Mark Brinkerhoff said, "There is no such thing as a born hard-worker, a born salesman, or a born genius. We are all born ignorant, with innate underdeveloped abilities. What we do with these underdeveloped abilities is up to us.  You can't afford to merely let things happen. If you want to be successful, you have to make things happen."      

One of the outstanding features of the Book of Acts is the fact that Luke did not record the good intentions of the New Testament church; but he did record many of their good acts. Instead of thinking about what should be done, and arguing about the best way to do it, they were motivated to put their thoughts to work. There can be no doubt that this was one of the primary reasons for the growth enjoyed by the early church.      

A church that has put its intentions to work has little time for discord among brethren. Unconcern and lukewarmness are unable to get started. Trouble just does not have any place to start. Abilities used will bring more opportunities for service; unused, they soon lose their power.   

An aqueduct was built in Segovia in A.D. 09. For 1800 years, that aqueduct carried sparkling water to hot and dusty Segovians. About the turn of the century, thoughtful Spaniards decided that the aqueduct should be preserved for posterity and should be relieved of its age-old labor. So, they laid modern pipelines and stopped the flow that for all those years gushed and gurgled in the aqueduct.  Soon after this the aqueduct began to fall apart. The blazing sun dried the mortar and made it crumble. Its stones sagged and fell; soon it lay in ruins. What ages of service could not destroy, idleness rapidly disintegrated.      

"Doing" is continually stressed by the Lord. James declared: "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man is blessed in his deed" (Jas. 1:25).      

 Two brothers once lived down this way,
and one was Do and the other Say.    
If streets were dirty, taxes high,   
Or schools were crowded, Say would cry:    
"My what a town," but brother Do   
Would set out to work and make things new.    
And while Do worked, Say would cry:    
"He does it wrong- I know that I   
could do it right." So all the day   
Was heard the clank of brother Say.   
But this one fact from none was hid-    
Say always talked, and Do always did.

    -Edsel Burleson