I always try to be sensitive people and their thoughts. Sometimes I fail, but I try to be. As I write, I have that sensitivity in mind as I address an issue that seems to come up often. Most never know it exists. It is really disheartening sometimes.
When one speaks God's word, God is talking provided the one speaking is speaking God's word and not a bunch of other 'man-made' stuff. Yes, there is the human element in preaching with the personality and nature of the preacher, but God can use that to His glory as long as the preacher understands his purpose in directing people to God. You pour God's heart out of your heart to teach people to allow God, the death of Jesus, to impact our thinking and living. God asks us to move away from us and into His righteousness. God wants us to be tender and a heart that embraces His every word. It will change us and mold us into the image of His Son. We are warned about being hard hearted in rejecting the word because it will make on cold and uncaring. The heart will grow insensitive. People agree with this and after God speaks, someone walks up and begins to 'rag' on another brother or sister! Or they say things just opposite of what God just spoke. You wonder if such a person heard anything God said. Apparently not! They never took anything to heart.
It is heart breaking to see people do opposite in word or deed after God just spoke. Yet Moses spoke God's word and the people went back to doing their ungodliness. The prophets came along and preached while the people just continued with their same mindset. Jesus appears in the flesh and preaches God's word with authority and power and the most religious of their time kill Him. The apostles went about only to be rejected by a number of the Lord's people. Paul warned Timothy, the young preacher to stay away from certain men as they would destroy the work. John speaks of those who ignore God and try to rule with their own desires and thinking while professing to love the Lord. So why would it be any different today? It's not. I can only imagine that the men of years past wanted to walk away from preaching and teaching. I know I have. But then there is this fire deep within, I don't know where it comes from (other than God) and it can't be explained. You find yourself drawn to keep on preaching and teaching, knowing that you labor is not in vain in the eyes of the Lord. Jeremiah found that out. I'm not a Jeremiah, but I know preaching/teaching are one of the most vital elements in the Lord's church and someone has to speak for God! Each time I get a little wearied, discouraged God says, "It's Me whom you serve. Serve with all your might!" Then you realize the rejection of many is not you, though they may say it is you. It is really God they reject. End of story!
1 comment:
For each such person that you may wonder if they even heard anything, there is a multitude that do hear the message and take it to heart in their lives.
And for those of us that are listening, we remind ourselves of the following:
Galatians 6
9Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
10So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Finally, the examples you listed about those doing the opposite in word or deed are excellent. The one that comes to my mind is Noah. He and is family were the only ones found to be righteous enough for God to save on the entire earth. God was even sorrowful for creating man. Can you imagine living in such a world and being the only one that God found blameless? Talk about discouraging and disheartening and yet Noah fully obeyed God.
Post a Comment