Action pleases God, not just a willing heart
“There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, “son, go and work today in the vineyard.” I will not, he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, “I will, sir but did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted? The first, they answered.” (NIV) Matthew 21:28-31
Having a willing spirit to do something is easy but doing the actual thing is a challenge for many of us. I am in a group that decided on a monthly project. Members were added by their own friends after discussing the aim of the group with them and they agreed to join. This was to ensure that people are not forced to be in a group they are unwilling to be part of and to also have everyone participating in the course of the group. To my surprise, less than half of the members of the group participate. The others are just members of the group. They neither participate nor exit the group.
The above is just one of the examples of having a willing heart but not moving on to action. We see this attitude also in the new year resolutions we set for ourselves. We are willing to set the goals but to take action to see the goals actualize barely happens. In the bible, people who were just willing (Matthew 8:21-22, Matthew 19:16-23) and never acted were never counted. Only those who moved from willing to action were counted (The apostles, Zacchaeus, and the robber who was saved on the cross are few examples)
Salvation is action-oriented. Repentance (willing heart) alone does not guarantee salvation (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:37-42). Love, Giving, Evangelism and other requirements of the Bible are action-oriented. God demonstrated His love for us by sending down His only son to die for us. God is a perfect example of using action so why not follow His lead. God bless you as you move from the willing state to the action state.