Let God Lead

A major problem in the United States today is that people are determined everything has to be their way.    People insist they have a right to express their opinion, but you do not have the right to even have a different opinion, much less express it.  Sadly that same attitude is making its way into the church.  If things are not done exactly like someone else does them we are wrong.  

Paul addressed this attitude in I Corinthians 12:27-30.  “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?”   Jesus only chose twelve apostles, so obviously not everyone was called to be an apostle.  Only a few people received special messages from God, so obviously not everyone was called to be a prophet.  Not everyone was able to perform miracles or to heal people.  Not everyone was able to speak various languages or interpret so others could understand. 

I Corinthians 12:7-11 explains why.  “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”  The Holy Spirit gives different people different gifts so that the needs of the church can be met.  Not everyone has the same gifts because they have different jobs to do as Paul explains in Romans 12:4-5.  “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”   

Instead of trying to be like someone else, we need to focus on doing the Job God has given us.  Romans 12:6-8 instructs, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.”  If God has given you a talent or gift for prophesying, we need to make sure we are using it properly as God gives us special messages.  If we feel we have to express a prophecy every time we meet people we begin to make things up and may direct them in the wrong way.  If he hasn’t given us a special message, we can trust him that one isn’t needed.

If he has given us a job ministering to people’s needs, we need to make sure we are doing it God’s way, not just following the world’s philosophy.  For example, God has given specific directions about charitable activities.  Ignoring those directions may well result in us enabling people to go on in their sin without experiencing the consequences of it.  If one is given the job of teaching he should take the trouble to study and plan his own lessons, not just use someone else’s lesson or sermon.  If he is counseling and encouraging others, he needs to make sure he is following God’s standards, and not substituting psychological principles or trying to manipulate the people. 

If a person is giving to the church, it should be a simple gift, not an attempt to get God to give him something in return or to get some special benefit such as a tax write off.  If a person is an administrator for the church or in position of leadership, he needs to do his job diligently, not taking advantage of his position.  If he is in a position to administer discipline, he needs to be willing to forgive fully, without reservations, if the person is repentant. 

Quite simply, serving the Lord is about doing what he wants rather than about what we want.  As Romans 14:13 says, “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.”  When we begin to impose our ideas and standards on others, we may well cause them to stumble or even to turn away from the gospel.   II Corinthians 3:17 tells us, “…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”  When we begin to insist people follow our standards, we are not walking in the Spirit of God.    God’s stasndard is perfect, and any deviation is less than perfect, whether more or less strict.  Our standards are not higher than God’s, despite what we may think.