Unskilful

"He is the finest, most holy expression of love."

GOD WON’T tell you what you are not mature enough to hear. What you won’t treasure. His greatest revelations are for those who won’t spill them. And here’s the other side of this, He will let you go on as you are when you are too immature to understand it. In other words, when you don’t seek to grow, you won’t grow.

He told the apostle Paul many things that were not given to others. Paul had great (immense) revelation. The Spirit revealed only to Peter the Savior’s love for those not born a Hebrew. He begs of us to grow up, to hear His voice and to NOT confuse it with our own thinking or, worse yet, something devilish. Our continued spewing of hatred for others stands center in His attention. He is the finest, most holy expression of love. He is compassion, and compassion on His scale only comes with maturity. The immature do not respond to people well. What is our first thought for that one, to criticize them, to make them into a joke, or to pray? And what is our prayer, “Lord, they need help,” or “Lord, I do”? We must seek Him for ourselves, so that we change, and bless others.

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14)

The death of people should never be on our tongue. And not strictly because we hate them. We often give up on them. Or don’t encourage them. Sometimes, we place mental obstacles in their path – faith, for instance. Faith has become an unattainable goal for many because the pulpit has painted it that way when our loving Father overflows with mercy. Mercy is His nature.

NEVER TELL A MAN HE DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH. GOD FILLS IN THE LACK OF FAITH WITH HIS MERCY. I am living proof. He is kind, so very, very gentle and kind and abundant in mercy. Any other image of Him is wrong.

Never say, “If God doesn’t heal you …” to anyone. Jesus healed every sick and disease and afflicted person in the multitudes, regardless of who they were or how they got that way. REGARDLESS OF SIN. How many did He tell to “Go and sin no more” in the gospels? And how often did He tell unclean spirits, aka devils, to shut up? Overt, loud, look-at-me performances, complete with frothing and foaming and screaming in twisted voices are to draw attention and take some form of control. It never worked. God is peace. Which one are you? We must finally see our behavior for what … for whose it is. And grow up.

Life is supposed to be easy. This is the Father’s heart for us. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us He knows what we have need of, to not worry about any of it. He will take care of us. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6 to never worry or be anxious but just talk to God and He’ll give you peace beyond your understanding. The apostle Peter says the same thing, telling us to cast all of our cares upon our wonderful Savior. In 2 Timothy 1:7 we read to never be afraid because fear isn’t from God, but He is love. I must ask, again, however, is it coming from us onto others? Did what we say give them hope and encouragement or depression?

“Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

There is way too much talk of suffering in the church. Our only godly suffering is obedience and the submission it requires. Jesus never made anyone sick. Neither from hatred or to teach them something. Making someone sick is never love. But asking obedience, which requires our surrender, is for our maturity. That we lay down our will and do as Jesus did, obey God’s will even when we don’t feel like it, teaches us self-control. I point this out to others, but the Holy Spirit is the most self-controlled of any living being He created. That He loves us enough to not say what we are not mature enough to do well with is my point.

The immature won’t bother to ask what they are missing out on that they could see and learn. They are too busy pointing fingers at others and deflecting their own guilt, or heaping it up as some idolic sacrifice. But God sees the heart. He knows our every motive, every thought we have, and every word before we say it. We can make no excuses before Him, and where we are in ministry, in everyday success, shows the results of our selfishness or, hopefully, how far we’ve grown. It shows our dependence upon Him.

Because selfishness ends in death, but the love of God shining through us brings life, and it is to give life, good life, that Jesus died and rose again. We are the most mature when we in humbleness continually see it, at every moment, in every calling, with every word we speak.

“For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:” (1 Thessalonians 3:9-12)

Image by Warren Griffiths from Pixabay


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