Teachable

"God does the same."

A MOTHER WAITS on her son to find Jesus. Or as the case may be, on Jesus to shine in his vision. Minister Jesse Duplantis tells of his mother's constant vigil for his salvation, which finally came in a hotel bathroom in Boston after watching a Billy Graham crusade. Some time before this, his mom called him at a bar in Mexico, when he'd gone there to perform in his rock band. He had no idea how she got the number, but when she said God had told her, he ran out of there quick.

We want the best for our children, and for them to not make our mistakes. Our only weapons though are prayer and patience. Force never saved anyone, not sincerely. God is longsuffering and of great strength to abide for us to turn around. We've drawn the wrong conclusion, however. We constantly assume we have our act together when He doesn't throw the red flag in some obvious manner, and in thinking this, we forget His goodness toward us. Where we overlook our children's errors in dress, in speech, and in judgment, knowing they are learning, we don't realize that God does the same. We only know how close to Him we are by being close to Him, by living transparent lives, aware He sees all we do even down to our inner thoughts and intentions.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

It has been asked why this man or that one is "allowed" to speak to congregations when their doctrine is not correct. First, many choose to speak, having not been sent, and God honors this, to some extent. But He desires all to go because they have heard His voice and have His instructions. Second, others have been called by Him to a certain church office - apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher. But they have drawn some of what they teach from their reasoning and their mind. God’s truth comes from the heart of man, from their spirit, which is taught by the Holy Spirit. What we read at first glance is confirmed by Him and then we KNOW it (John 14:26).

A man teaching erroneous teaching does not, at first, see it as error. God abandons no one. But continual rebellion will cause Him to pull back. There will be no anointing upon what is spoken, or less anointing because He cannot sustain faulty words. But so much of what is wrong He overlooks, like that parent, waiting, wooing us to see it. To see Him and turn around. What people celebrate or laugh at that is said is not a sign of God’s approval. I don't want you to get the church's idea of Him as a disciplinarian. He does discipline. But it is not as men do, and this is my point. We must come up higher in our knowledge of Him.

We must learn more fully WHO HE IS and how He thinks; we must know His character, and learn to judge what we hear by Him. We must then walk in love with that one anyway. We miss this on so many points. Knowing God the Father, knowing our Savior and King, knowing the voice of the Spirit from our own … please reread that. We must know what we say out of our education, opinions, and intellect, from what God says. We must never assume truth but confirm it with God's Word and the Holy Spirit. We must choose peace over name-calling and love over denominations, and even false religions. And refuse to point fingers except at the One who died for us.

We must stay teachable, humble in spirit. This means setting our ways aside. God loves each of us and our personalities. He doesn't want to quash what we enjoy or our talents. Not at all. But pride takes many forms, and a heart of humbleness will prevent it from forming in us and coming out our mouth. We are not fighting people but the devil's kin (Ephesians 6:12). As in, NEVER. Jesus died for people. We are to love them as He does. As we expect Him to do for us when that revelation comes, and we see what we have said that was wrong. Our gentle Father opens His heart to us, with great mercy sending us where we should have been. Just like we are with our son, our daughter, who said what they said then grew up and stopped saying it.

“For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:12)

Image by Victoria from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com