I was praying a few days ago as I washed the dishes. I got to a point where I stopped, but knew my prayer wasn't finished. I waited... didn't know what I was waiting for, but I knew something good was coming from God.
I continued to wash dishes, waiting, and all of a sudden, He spoke to my spirit. I had been praying over some requests shared with me by friends, family, Facebook acquaintances. Some of these were seemingly small requests, some were requests that would require a miracle. I was absolutely thrilled that I could feel His presence in my little kitchen, that I knew He was about to speak. Would He give me a Word for my friend whose cancer battle has gone on so long she is about as tired as can be? Would He give me Wisdom to share with my daughter for my grandson's recent personality changes (which have us all worried)? I was so in hopes that He would speak to me about one of my many petitions.
He spoke to me, quietly, and told me "so many of my children are worrying and are upset over whether they are in My will concerning what they consider sinful behavior, that they aren't winning souls for my Kingdom... I don't know why they are making such a big deal over these things."
I struggled for a few minutes before I said, "Lord, are you sure that message was for me? I really have some important requests going on here." I named this person and that, reminded Him of their needs, their desperation, their immediate concerns. I just felt like He may not have heard me.
I was so disappointed that I almost MISSED it... GOD, the Creator, GOD the Almighty, GOD, the Alpha and Omega... HAD SPOKEN DIRECTLY TO ME! And, in hindsight, wasn't I the haughty one? I had responded as if he were an elderly person, prone to forgetfulness and subject to blurting out something totally unrelated to the conversation I THOUGHT we were having...(it's okay to laugh here- I have laughed a lot at myself. Just don't laugh because HE spoke to me-laugh at my human stupidity).
I got myself together, realized He had a message for someone, and that I should either share it with you on here, or share it with those I know and share my spiritual journey. Someone needed to hear this message..
So, I began searching the Word for His "rules". No, not the Ten Commandments... even those who have never darkened a Church door know those... I was searching for those "morsels" of direction that you get as you grow, sometimes insinuated, sometimes spoken outright, such as "go forth and sin no more"...
I found none of what I was looking for specifically, so I literally BEGGED Him to give me what He had for me. "I'll listen, I promise! I won't presume to be so smart-I'll tell it like YOU want it told, Lord".
He directed me to think of the things we who call ourselves Christians put into the heads of the world.
For example, we often judge those we know if we see them with a cocktail, or hear them talk about an drink they enjoy that we may see as sinful.
I am NOT getting into religious and denominational beliefs. Let GOD lead you as to whether it is a sin to enjoy a cocktail or a beer. I am NOT GOD- my walk is NOT yours. What God has told me to avoid or partake of may not be something He has given attention to in your relationship with Him.
What I felt He was telling me was that we were so caught up in the "rules" of our walk with Him, that we were literally stumbling over lost souls, tripping over hurting people, barging into the lives of others with our perception of what a Christian should or should not do, that we were allowing HIS creation to remain lost or lose sight of a relationship with HIM. In other words, WE ARE TOO BUSY LEGISLATING MORALITY TO WITNESS, SHARE HIS LOVE, MINISTER TO THE VERY REAL NEEDS OF A LOST AND DYING WORLD!!!!
Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying you shouldn't teach your children not to use drugs. I am not promoting alcoholism. I am not saying that you should drop your personal convictions and go out and buy a ticket for the lottery if that is something you feel strongly you shouldn't do.
I am saying we get too caught up in what a Christian looks like on paper to be out and about "going about the Father's business".
I once had a person I considered a mentor ask me about a pastor she knew. She asked if I knew him, had I ever sung in his Church, heard him preach, etc. Boy, did I let loose! I told her I didn't have a lot of confidence in this pastor I had met a few times, because I saw him going into a "dive"... a beer joint, known for having its share of brawls, illegal activities, etc.
My friend asked me if I followed this pastor in, to see what his purpose in being there might be. "No", I said. "I don't need to know why he was there! My Bible says to "avoid the appearance of evil" (it does) and I will know a tree by the fruit it bears ( we do). He should know better, and besides, if he was going into a beer joint, what pure motive could he possibly have? He should know better, everyone sees him on TV, reads about his stands on politically and religiously intertwined issues... what good does that do, if word gets out that he is hanging out in a bar?"
I mean, here was someone I looked up to, proclaiming about this "Godly" pastor, and I, a relatively new Christian new more about this hypocrite than she did! I was on my soapbox, on a roll. I was pointing out how the most revered people can mislead others...
Until my friend shared with me that she knew a Church member (in said Pastor's Church), an elderly woman. This woman had been praying for years for her wayward son. She had gone to revival after revival, Christmas play upon Christmas play, service after service... always reminding the congregation to pray for her son, that God would arrest his heart, convict him of his sins, and save his soul. She clung for YEARS to the Promise that says all of our family will be saved if we are faithful to Him, keep His Word, live a Godly life. She wept at the altar time and time again over this child. He was a "druggie", and was in and out of jail, a nuisance to the local authorities, but the most important soul in the world to this mighty woman of God. It was her cross to bear that her son refused to listen to her pleas to attend Church with her, to pray with her, to give God a chance to change his life.In fact, it had gotten to the point where eyes would roll when Prayer requests were taken, because everyone knew she would "start again about that boy of hers" .
"Anita," my friend said... "that bar was the favorite hang out for this beloved son. His mom had a heart attack last Tuesday (or whatever day it was). Her pastor was called by the woman's children. He asked what he might do for them, and by that time, this saint had gone to Heaven.
None of her children would be caught dead in that bar, having given up on even associating with their brother.
Knowing how much his momma loved him, the pastor said he'd go get the son. He was there to get her boy, knowing that this mother wouldn't want a stranger to deliver the news. He had seen the son a few times while visiting the mom over the years. It would be his job to deliver this news."
She stopped talking, I just sat there...
He was being a pastor... even after the member of his Church had passed. He was being compassionate, not caring what judgemental folks like me would think if they saw him going into a "dive" when he was supposed to be setting an example...
I was thoroughly chastised, let me tell you!My friend, without telling me what an idiot I had been, had taught me a lesson in judging others.
I think I must have needed this lesson a second time and my friend has since gone on to meet Him face to face, so God Himself told me again... "my people are missing the mark"..
God is concerned with ALL sin. But it is HE who determines when we are mature enough in Him for Him to convict us, to say " Hey, that thing you do (insert sin of your choice here) is displeasing to me-Stop It" . It is He who says what IS and what ISN'T sin... NOT YOU and I...we have let Religion get in the way of Christianity.
He is concerned that HIS children are watching who is drinking a beer, smoking a cigarette, buying a Lottery ticket, and failing to WIN SOULS!
WE ARE COMMISSIONED TO SPREAD HIS LOVE, THE PLAN OF SALVATION, BRING LIGHT INTO A DARK AND LONELY WORLD!
He is capable of letting each of us know, AFTER we are born again, what we should and should not be doing. We don't listen before we are born again. Some of us, myself included, fail to listen sometimes AFTER we are born again.
Again, I am not trying to say we shouldn't teach moral, Christ-like behavior. I just know that HE told me we should be MORE concerned with those who are headed to a Devil's Hell.
We're too busy letting everyone know that Brother ____ plays the Lottery because we saw him with a ticket, when there was a person dangling off the side of a burning building needing to be rescued, someone you could have rescued, had you not been paying attention to Brother ______'s actions...
You tell me... which of those situations would God rather you were tending?
