Audrey Hill Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 #4. So many times we want it to make sense sto us before we do something. We want to do God's will but we are afraid of failing, and, yes, we are afraid of what the world will say about us. As gripofhisgrace said - "We forget how big God is." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Phelps Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 We see things thru a glass dimly while God sees all. That Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Dickinson Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 #3 Q4. Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? When we become a Christian it can take some time for us to shake off our worldly preconceptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Momphard Posted February 2, 2003 Report Share Posted February 2, 2003 Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? I think it is good to be cautious and sure it is God guiding us and not our own misguidance. We have all heard of people making BIG mistakes about when world will end, etc. It also seems to me that many folks seem to start out on right way but are easily mislead. I always think of Jim Jones followers... What's the spiritual danger here? I guess we could miss God's calling. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust? By having our church family and leaders pray for us,etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luminosa Posted February 2, 2003 Report Share Posted February 2, 2003 We want God's directions to make sense to us before we follow so that we can feel in control. It can be scary to yield control. Needing to have everything make sense and spelled out can be dangerous. We are to follow God because we trust and love Him. We must remember His promise never to fail or abandon us, even when things don't seem to make sense. If what we are led to do is in line with God's word and the Holy Spirit brings us peace in the decision to proceed, then it should be a green light for us. If on the other hand, we are not sure, if we feel that we need reassurance, then godly counsel from people we trust is okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Maher Posted February 3, 2003 Report Share Posted February 3, 2003 Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? I believe that the last part of this question is the main reason we want God's direction to make sense to us. We do not want to be or be percieved as religious kooks. I also believe it is a part of being human, we want to know where we are going and how we are going to get there. This is in contrast to walking in faith, where we follow the Lord's leading without concern for how things will get done or where the ultimate destination is. What's the spiritual danger here? I believe the spiritual danger is that we can miss out on the blessings the Lord has for us, because we do not follow Him faithfully. We're afraid of being -- or being perceived as -- religious kooks. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust? We are blessed to have the Bible. This is the word of God and can be our source of confirmation. I know I struggle with the perception of others . . . and as I do, I know that I am in error. The Lord must be first, and I should not be concerned with other's perceptions. Based on this, I believe I should look to the Bible for confirmations. This does not mean that I will not get other confirmations from other spiritual people whose discernment I trust . . . but their confirmation is not a requirement before I act in faith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda biloni Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 We demand that God's directions make sense to us because we feel that we are risking something, such as our finances or security. Our faith isn't strong enough to blindly obey God. We let our mind interfere with what God has put in our hearts. The spiritual danger is that we are letting satan weaken our faith by allowing him to influence our thoughts and cause doubt and confusion. Spiritual people will give us encouragement when we need it. As our faith is strengthened through encouragment by other christians, the easier it will be to be blindly obediant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda biloni Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 It is hard to live in and work in this world and at some point, not want acceptance and approval. It is the times I say or do something to get this acceptance or approval, that I have to ask for God's forgiveness. Oh to be a religious kook and be comfortable with it among co-workers, family and friends!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Henhawke Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 Its because of our human frailities and understanding of our mortality that we seem to ask for a sign or clarification in instructions from God.We are so scared of losing all that we have for something that we believe may or may not be coming from God, can that be an indicator of lack of Faith? hmm posssibly! Our pride and lack of spiritual fullfillment instills a false sense of being labelled "a religious kook",no one likes to be called this especially the ones that come to my door on Saturday morning in a vain attempt to undermine my faith while im working in the house in my underware, i can only imagine what they thought of me standing there defending what i believe in my gitch with a paintbrush and a hammer in my hand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs4jc Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? What's the spiritual danger here? We're afraid of being -- or being perceived as -- religious kooks. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust? As human beings we like things to make sense. We are so wrapped up in our limited perception and vision that we miss the bigger picture that only God can see. Of course we know that His ways are not our ways and that they won't always make sense. Sometimes we can see after the fact how everything worked out and fit together. Sometimes only God knows. We face the danger of not joining in with what God is doing if we demand that everything make sense. This has clarified for me that often one of the factors that I base my decisions on is if it "makes sense". Often that's a good guideline, but not always--not if God's clear directions say to do something else. Of course we will be afraid of being perceived as kooks. We also face many other fears as well when stepping out on faith. What if God lets me down and this doesn't work out (a totally unjustified fear of course), what if I'm not really doing what He wants me to do (Gideon's fear and why he laid out the fleece?), what if I'm out there all alone and no one else believes in what I'm doing?, what if it takes a really long time and I have to go through trials and suffering before I see the reward? Getting confirmation from others--especially if the fear is that I'm not sure this is what God wants me to do--is a wise move. Where there are many counselors, etc. Seek out WISE, GODLY counsel though. Someone who won't just give you a "head" answer but who will seek God's answer in prayer. And if someone comes to you for confirmation don't answer with out seeking God's revealation first. Going back to the first point--God's plan won't always make sense so we can't rely on human reason alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Smith Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Q4. Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? What's the spiritual danger here? We're afraid of being -- or being perceived as -- religious kooks. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust? The Lord tells us that His thoughts are higher than ours (not just unlike ours, but superior to them), and we know from Christian history that God's plans and commands exhibit varying degrees of foolishness, when viewed from our earthly perspective. If we force God's commands into the shoebox of reasonableness, we will miss many of the things God instructs us to do. We must escape the fear of being labelled kooks, because we are kooks! Our fear will only hold us back from obedience, and our love for our Savior is best displayed through obedience. I agree that we should get confirmation from others; God wants us to be in fellowship, and that accountability keeps us balanced and motivated as well. But we must choose our friends carefully. Just as it is easy to become lazy in our Christian walk, it is easy for our circle of friends to lose their fire. The Word tells us to "provoke one another to love and good deeds" (Heb 10.24 NRSV) so we mustn't neglect the process of reevaluating ourselves and exhorting our friends to renew the fire (and the kookiness ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leo Posted February 22, 2003 Report Share Posted February 22, 2003 In the same way that we're afraid to walk anywhere in complete darkness because we don't see what's ahead, we try to make sure that what th Lord wants from us makes sense because we have no idea what's in store for us in the future. In other words, this is mostly about fear. Fear is a normal human reaction when we are unsure of what's ahead. But I think this reaction can be overridden just by completely trusting the Lord. But then again, I know that this is easier said than done. Even I haven't completely overcome that fear. But I do hope that, God willing, I will be able to in the near future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjcollin Posted February 24, 2003 Report Share Posted February 24, 2003 Q4. Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? What's the spiritual danger here? We're afraid of being -- or being perceived as -- religious kooks. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust? Because we are lacking in Faith. The spiritual danger is that we will remain weak in our Faith and not grow as God would have us grow. I believe we each have to individually as Christians be able to hear and discern the voice of God for ourselves. Currently today there are very few who can actively hear God's voice, so we have to have confirmation from a group of trusted sources. This is where the church comes in and helps us through Christian fellowhship. It has been my experience that not everybody who calls themselves Christian's actually are, and not everybody who actually is a Christian can give good discernment. I for one would like to have a little more blind obedience to the actual voice of God regardless of how I am perceived by others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeM Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 We demand that God's directions make sense to us, because a lot of times what He is asking for or of us, seems so out of our character. We say, we can't do that, or how can we do that, but God knows what each of us have the ability to do and I am awed at what God has done with me. God sees in us what we can not see. The spiritual danger is that we need to trust God and believe what we don't understand right now, will later on in our walk, come together. We can balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through others spiritual discernment that we trust by acknowledging that others have been where we are today. And that God will speak through others to relay a message from Him. He places people in our path ways for many reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanie Posted March 28, 2003 Report Share Posted March 28, 2003 Gideon Lesson 3 Question 4 Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? What's the spiritual danger here? We're afraid of being . . or being perceived as . . religious kooks. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust? Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:25 And until, like Gideon we learn this we will continue to demand signs and wonders before we will follow Him. Yielding to the flesh would cause us to become afraid of what others may think of us. Whereas to be led by The Spirit of God would keep our eyes upon Him - The Word of God. Spiritual people whose discernment we trust are God's great blessing to us and welcoming the godly into our homes is so very precious. And yet for me, there have been times when the Holy Spirit has led me into certain situations where there was no-one. But Him ! This was extremely painful for me. So much so I didn't think I could go on without someone to help me. I literally thought I was going to die. And in a way I did die. Leaning on others, was becoming 'my god'. Glory Be to God. Being left alone with Him has become my greatest blessing. This experience was given me while still in the midst of a precious family. However, He has set me free from trying to please and have others approval. Now I am free to love others, without expecting any love in return. But love them us unto The Lord and trust Him with whatever. Moment by moment The Spirit of The Lord is teaching me to receive from Him for all the everyday mundane circumstances of each day. Sometimes He still speaks to me through spiritual people whose discernment I trust and how I thank God for them. But now when they have gone or my family not able to be there for me I no longer feel 'left alone'. I love being led by The Spirit of God. Glory Glory Glory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luray mcclung Posted April 18, 2003 Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 Perhaps we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them. Often it is human nature to focus on failure. (Wouldn't we need all the recruits we could get as Gideon first thought?) Those who serve the Lord want desperately to understand his will for our lives. Those clear directions lead sometimes to a huge step or leap in our faith walk, and we must be reassured we get it right. The spiritual danger is misunderstanding God's will and being over confident in God's plan. If we add to or change His plan, spirtual harm may come. Therefore, it is important thay we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust by our own daily walk with the Lord, living in obedience to his calling, no matter how great are small. (Someone has to put seed in the birdfeeders at the nursing home.) Love in our Lord, lmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Posted May 1, 2003 Report Share Posted May 1, 2003 I think we demand more confirmations when we are small in faith. The more we mature, the more we trust Him too. Always setting out tests is not a good idea, because when we see God Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Woodbridge Posted May 8, 2003 Report Share Posted May 8, 2003 Q4. Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? What's the spiritual danger here? We're afraid of being -- or being perceived as -- religious kooks. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust? Being rational beings, it is only natural that we be able to comprehend the task before us. While Christians have the advantage of a "spiritual dimension" that the world knows nothing about, we are still dealing with basic human nature. We are in the world, but not of the world. The danger comes when we rely only on our perceptions. My Bible says, "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God." A vital prayer life is vital to "walking in the Spirit". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario Posted December 27, 2003 Report Share Posted December 27, 2003 I can't remember the last time or the first time I demanded God's directions to make sense before I followed it but if I did it would be because I wasn't allowing the Holy Spirit to work in my life, pride perhaps or out of fear which is definitely not from God. The danger is quenching the Holy Spirit is giving the enemy a chance to do his evil work. I'm not really sure what a religious kook is but if we are carring the "light" and being the "salt" of the earth and we are following Jesus, HIS kingdom and righteousness, then nothing should matter. Not everyone that tells you what to do or gives you advice has discerning spirits. Always confirm everything through His words because He never contradicts himself and pray, pray , pray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty Posted January 17, 2004 Report Share Posted January 17, 2004 Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? We demand for God to tell the reason and to explain the reason to us before we follow the directions. What is the spiritual danger here? The danger here is we have pride and rebellion in our hearts. We are opening a door for the enemy to get in. We can balance blind obedience and getting confirmation by spiritual people by letting them pray for us and not give them the information God has given. This way when we need confirmation, we know what is needed to be heard by God. When we tell spiritual people what we need to be confirmed, and prayed over. I heard this could be an avenue of gossip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherdills Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 We demand that GOd's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them because we lack true faith. The spiritual danger here is not to fully rely on the Lord and receive His blessings. We can balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust are starting what GOd has asked and asking for advice on how to get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelOnLine Posted May 21, 2004 Report Share Posted May 21, 2004 Q4. Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? We don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mairead Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Fear often makes us wait until we can make sense out of the plan that God is planning for us. We can start to become self-sufficient and can cause us to believe that we Cn do things for ourselves and that we don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 We demand to see sense because our society educates us to operate inthe power of the brain rather than that of the spirit. Brain power is great, but must be submitted to the Spirit of God to get the best results. The spiritual danger is that we have greater confidence in our own judgement than we do in our Creator's, and can easily miss His best plan for us. Balancing blind obedience with confirmation by any means is difficult because the obedience often needs to be an immediate response. The advice of elders is wonderful and often confirms the instance. However even this can be wrong. The final adjudicator is the peace within one's spirit. Sometimes, if one has one's own agenda in operation, it can be difficult to find where the peace lies. We have to identify the agenda that is operating, and get rid of that! Hebrews 4 is all about making sure that we enter God's rest. I think this is incredibly important in every situation, and knowing how to find it is the whole art of being a Christian! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maria gonzalez Posted July 16, 2004 Report Share Posted July 16, 2004 I have thought about obedience vs what people think of us. There have been times where I have prayed and received confirmation to do something that in my opinion makes no sense, and in other people's opinion is just not a well thought made decision. I have seen God's blessings, there are times where patience is a key, I need to wait, at times a very long time and endure comments, at the end I "see"/feel how God has blessed me in a great way. Obedience does not come from rationality. It does not make sense to us at times. It just means we believe to do God's will over our own rationality, our own self, what we know and what we think is best for us. It is to listen to God over our own self, to forget about us and think of God. We demand from God to be rational because we are afraid of what people may think of us, we are afraid of rejection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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