I put down the book, disappointed. One of my favorite Christian inspirational writers, the woman who was the reason I became inspired to write myself, had a new book out, and I didn't like the book. I couldn't believe what she was saying that God told her, because it was so opposite of what he was telling me. Was I wrong? Was she?
I thought back to past things she'd written and said. In the past God had told her to give up television, now she was giving up sugar. How could he be telling her to give up things, when he was telling me of my freedom in him. How could he tell her to give up certain food, when he was reminding me that what I put into my body doesn't matter, it's what comes out of my heart and mouth that could be sinful.
As I continued to search the Bible, and prayed, I realized something wonderful. We could both be right. The Word of God is living and active, and it speaks to us exactly what we need to hear. It would seem that her struggle must be self-control, and so God is training her to be self controlled by having her give up things for him.
Me? My struggle is legalism and accepting grace. So God was training me to be free, not in bondage to "do" things for him, but to just accept his love and forgiveness. God wanted me to stop living a life of man-made schedules and man-made rules, and accept the grace he gave me, the grace that I don't have to earn.
I love that God speaks to each of us individually, giving us exactly what we need. When you read a teacher's writings, it is your job to weigh their words prayerfully to decide if what they are saying is for you or just for them. Just because God calls one person to something, he may not be calling all to it. This is also seen in the fact that he gives each of us different gifts.
Yes, there are universal commands for all of us. And if anyone believes that God is telling them something that is opposite of Bible teaching, they are wrong. However, God works on each of us in different areas at different times. He may be telling one person to "Go" at the same time he tells someone else to "Be still." Both are Biblical commands. Which is God saying to you?
It is important to listen to good teachers, but it is more important to listen to God. What is He calling you to do?
Kelly Combs is a Christian wife, mom, writer and speaker. You can learn about Kelly by visiting her website at www.kellycombs.com
17 comments:
This is when you--as an individual--really need to know God's Word and to connect with the Holy Spirit as to His promptings about what you read, see, hear, etc. At the same time, those who have the gift of teaching, who put those words into writing, need to be so careful about the words they choose.
We are not called into everything, but, if we don't say that in our writing, we, as readers, can be confused. We do start to like our favorite authors and Bible study teachers. But we have to remember Who is always #1. I think that's part of the reason why teachers have one of the more challenging gifts to carry out (see James for references). Yet, God offers grace as is necessary. Praise Him!
So true Kelly! Great insight; thanks!
I have to admit the James verses do give me pause. I never want to lead anyone down the wrong path. I am so thankful that God does offer grace! And I pray that my readers seek out the Holy Spirit to realize that my struggles are not always theirs.
Thank you Rosalie! So great to see you commenting here! Be blessed, friend.
I really loved this post Kelly!
I think you've written an excellent post here. I think this just goes to show us that God deals with each of us in different ways.
Maybe she did watch too much TV, or maybe she maxed out a credit card watching one of those shopping channels, or maybe she's been diagnosed with high blood sugar...we don't walk in their shoes, we don't really know why people really make drastic personal changes prompted by God. If she has a weakness, I say kudos for avoiding it. For me, I know that I can handle sugar in moderation, but I do have things that I avoid because I am weak.
Thank you Carmen!
Thank you Loree. God does deal with each of us in different ways. So true.
Oh my gosh, I LOVE this post!! It's so true, but so many times, people don't see it, and then the devil comes in and has us judge one another when we should be supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ instead of fighting with each other.
Kelly ~ I love your transparent heart! :) SO thankful the Holy Spirit whispers His words to each of us. They will all line up with His Word...and yet the whispers might be different.
So whether you eat sugar or not, do it all for the glory of God and in obedience to Him!
"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." ~ 1 Cor. 10:31
Hugs and gum drops,
Sharon
What struck me about this post is the need for balance in every area of our lives but also the need to understand that balance is relative and unique to each individual. What's more is that God is not something to be balanced, He is the scale by which we balance everything else in our lives. We can get hung up if we try to match our state of balance with that of others or even if we start comparing them.
Happy Birthday to a beautiful lady who radiates God's love and joy. You are such a blessing to us.
Kari - I love your comments. You really articulate a great summary, and I agree God is the scale with which we balance our life. Thanks!
Thanks, Roxanna!
This is really good, Kelly!
Most of my "stuff" has to do with accepting God's grace for living and watching that my motive is love and not from an "I ought to..."
In fact, I dealt with an "ought to" today that for many people would probably not make sense unless they had a very similar background.
We all have our own issues, and how wonderful that we serve a living God who deals with us individually. Praise him!
What a powerful post, Kelly! Probably one of your best messages ever!!!
Post a Comment