There have been a few times in my life, probably more than I like to remember, when I entered into situations that I knew were going to be different and that the outcome would be less than pleasant for me. A couple involved confronting issues with leadership in various organizations where the rational expectation was that the leadership was not that open to input, and that proved to be the case. In another situation I was called to deliver difficult, life changing, news to a group of people, I shut down their office. In all of these situations I found myself spending a great deal of time praying and asking the Lord for wisdom.
In some of us there is seems to be predisposition to voluntarily walk into these types of buzzsaws; a compulsion to throw ourselves on the nearest grenade in the name of service to the Lord or our community. Sometimes, that is what the Lord requires; but perhaps not as often as we are inclined. John 7:1 challenged me on my inclination to charge into the breach. Jesus avoided Judea to avoid those who were seeking to kill Him. As we know later He voluntarily went to Jerusalem to face crucifixion. What was the difference? John 5:19 gives us a clue. Jesus only did what the Father told Him to do.
That seems to be a guide for me as well. Just because there is a wrong that needs to be addressed does not mean that I am to address it. Christ did not heal everyone in His path. He did not raise everyone who died from the grave, He did not grant everyone’s requests. I need to ask before I volunteer.
Sometimes I don’t.
That seems to be a guide for me as well. Just because there is a wrong that needs to be addressed does not mean that I am to address it. Christ did not heal everyone in His path. He did not raise everyone who died from the grave, He did not grant everyone’s requests. I need to ask before I volunteer.
Sometimes I don’t.
Fairly easy to understand and see in the life and teaching of Jesus. Not so easy to do. On the other hand, some of us need the
ReplyDeleteopposite - to hear the word of Jesus calling us to follow Him into the hard thing. Such faced the early disciples in Luke 5:1-5. I would imagine as professional fishermen who had labored at backbreaking labor all night and were looking forward to bed they were not so inclined to take the word of a carpenter on how to fish. "...but at your bidding...." In this case especially it changed their lives.