How sacred are we with this:
When God teaches us something - how reverent are we with it? Do we treat it right?
Lately, I feel I have been disrespectfully blabbering about things of God as a mere conversation piece - Just talking, irreverently about; “yeah, so the Lord is trying to teach me more about dying to myself, so anyways, what are you doing for the Superbowl?”
I think there is a difference between rejoicing within community over what God is doing in our lives, and also opening up to each other to sharpen one another. But irresponsibly and half-heartedly rambling about the intimate things that you and God are working out is not cool.
God is God. How dare I taint and dirty mine and His intimacy by running around and blabbering about what He is revealing to me without serious reverence and thought.
If it’s a huge no-no to air you and your spouses dirty laundry - how much more to advertise ours and God’s. We are graced enough to experience Him teaching us things by His divine way. It’s unreal to think about. I think we need to respect it more, and let things REALLY penetrate deep into our hearts and lives before we go use it as an Oprah topic in trivial conversations.
I had someone (probably the wisest men I know) tell me once, “Be careful about ‘giving away’ the things God is trying to teach you before you really have had the chance to process them yourself.”
I’ve been thinking about what happens when we prematurely seek guidance from anyone besides God in figuring out. When we are going through a period of the Lord teaching us something - before we fully understand what He’s trying to teach us, and well before we’re able to actualize it into our lives - we’re so quick to run to someone and excitedly share what God is doing in our lives. I’ve been convicted lately to stop doing that, and to wait for more from God - the direct, only, ultimate source. I feel like I have error’d so many times when I get the slightest beginning of something that God is trying to teach me and I say “thanks God, i’m gonna go get the rest of it from a human being.” How foolish! I need to wait, and wait, and wait more, and STAY, until he reveals what he wants me to see clearly. What if God has so much more for us, so much more that he wants to give us if we just stay, and continue listening to Him.
He taught me this in such a cool way this week - Praise Him!
....Just to clarify - I think so much benefit comes and Christian community is so much more able to be used by God if we are honest and open about things.
But I feel the Lord asking me to be more reverent with the things He gives me - because he wants to give us more! :)
Yes. I am so quick to think God has spoken, and that he is finished, and that now is the best time for me to shout my newfound revelations all over the place.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to be more protective of my quiet times with God. When we meet him in the secret place Matthew 6:6, he is jealous for our intimacy with him.
He promises to meet us in that secret place. And I want to wait there for revelation, comfort and solace, just me and Jesus.
Thanks for being honest and for sharing what's been on your heart.
This is very true, Billy, and iI think what I'm hearing from you is that it needs to be balanced.
ReplyDeleteI'm a slow processor, so I don't tend to blurt out anything and everything that God might be doing in me, but I often am more able to grasp exactly what he IS doing when I'm able to share it with a friend. When I'm compelled to say it out loud the pieces sometimes suddenly fall into place.
You're right, these intimacies with God shouldn't be the things we're talking about because we need to fill dead air, but when we are authentically processing within a nurturing community these things can, potentially, become clearer.
Awesome thoughts Billy. “Be careful about ‘giving away’ the things God is trying to teach you before you really have had the chance to process them yourself.” I love this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Charity. Great quote! I'm writing that down and saving it. Totally applicable to my life. Thanks man!
ReplyDeletethank you so much for this! it is really applicable to something going on in my life right now and i really hadn't thought about it in this way. your obedience to the Lord is very admirable. we are so trained that waiting detrimental to our lives, but the discipline of waiting can really enlighten us to so much that God wants to reveal to us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I have never thought about it this way... Time to ponder over this thought...
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that we talked about processing on Saturday. Thanks!
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