Strike while the iron is hot

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” James 4:17

Strike while the iron is hot is an old idiom relating to the art of blacksmithing. To achieve the desired shape of the iron, it must be heated to an extreme temperature then struck with a mallet. Today it’s used when an opportunity presents itself, we’re to seize the moment and not procrastinate.

Have you ever felt like you were supposed to do something but it was out of your comfort zone so you didn’t do it? I can vividly remember when this happened to me. I knew in my heart I was supposed to share the plan of salvation to someone but I let the fear of rejection stop me. My heart raced and I got sweaty palms so I definitely knew what God wanted me to do but the words wouldn’t come. I squelched the Holy Spirit working in me.

Jesus tells us to plant the seeds. 1 Corinthians 3:7 says, “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” That’s all we’re called to do, plant the seeds then God will reap the harvest. However, the seeds can’t grow until they’re planted.

We need to be eager to act when we feel led to do something and be sensitive to the urges of the Holy Spirit. When we sense a nudge in our heart, we need to strike while the iron is hot because we may not get another chance.