Listening to God
If you have kids you know how frustrating it can be to tell them to do something, but they don’t do it, so you have to tell them again, and maybe even a third or fourth time. Although my son is a pretty good kid, sometimes he doesn’t respond the first, second, or third time I tell him to do something. I’ve been known to raise my voice just a little to get his attention when he doesn’t listen. And somehow that little raise of the voice works.
I think God is the same way, and we sometimes respond to Him much like our kids respond to us. God doesn’t necessarily raise His voice, but He does find creative ways to get His message across if we don’t listen the first few times He tells us directly.
I experienced just such a thing this week. I was upset with a fellow Christian about something, and as I prayed about it, asking God what to do, I understood what His answer and His direction was. I was to call her and ask to talk, and when we did have an opportunity to talk I was to ask if there was something I had done to make her act this way towards me. I was to swallow my pride and try to reconcile any differences we had. God pointed me toward Matthew 18 as a model for how I needed to deal with this situation I was upset about.
Three mornings in a row I prayed and got this same answer. But I didn’t call my fellow Christian. Instead I stewed about it, imagining that she would not respond favorably. I did read Matthew 18, but I didn’t act on the direction it gave me, even though it was the words of Jesus himself telling me what to do.
“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” Matthew 18:15-16.
So today God got creative. I received a Facebook message from a friend I had confided in about this situation. She said she couldn’t get it off her mind and that she thought I needed to go talk to the person I was upset with and tell her how I felt. Then she wrote, “That part in the Bible (you’ll know it better than I) about if a person has a problem with his brother, he should go to that person to get it cleared up?” That would be Matthew 18:15.
I finally “listened” and made the call. I got voicemail and am now waiting for a call back to try to schedule a meeting with my fellow Christian. Perhaps if I had listened on Monday the whole thing would be cleared up by now.
God speaks to us through His Holy Spirit and His Word. I am thankful that if I don’t listen and follow-through, He doesn’t give up. He will use creative methods to get my attention and direct me in the path I need to be on. How many disagreements and hurt feelings among believers could be avoided if we would all just heed the prompting of the Holy Spirit and actually treat each other as His Word directs us to do?
The apostle John (known as the apostle whom Jesus love) wrote:
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. 1 John 2:9-11.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:16-20.
The body of Christ is made up of diverse believers with different backgrounds, temperaments, and personalities. Though we may surely bond more closely with some believers than others, we must all love one another “with actions and in truth.” One of those “actions” is to resolve differences and disagreements in the manner our Savior has commanded us to do. Then we will live in the unity and harmony of the Gospel and God will be glorified.
This post hit home for me, as I’m sure it did for many others. The comparison to kids at the beginning made me laugh. “Why can’t you listen BEFORE I get mad and start yelling?!” Hmm, how many times have I said that?? I also appreciate the recognition that people of faith are a diverse group, and we are called to respect and connect to others who might not be like us. This is always a challenge for me. I blogged about it recently– “Nice Idea But…” I’m not putting the link in this comment because I’m not sure that is appropriate (still learning blog etiquette). Anyway, I enjoyed catching up with your blog this morning.
Galen, Yes, I have said that very line to my son more times than I can count. But I suspect God has said it to me even more. As for a link to your blog in a comment, I think that is fine if it is related to the topic. I’ll come check out your post anyway. Peace, Linda
God bless you, Linda, as you await that call. May He graciously work in your conversation and be glorified through it all. (He already is through this post about it!) You are a courageous child of His! love, deb
Linda,
This is a great and powerful testimony, and it is good that you are sharing this as a lesson learned. We all know what it is like to be tugged on by the Spirit and to resist. It is natural for us as people to stew, it is for me and I have a long history of it. Following the Spirit in His leading is the answer though, and this issue will be resolved soon. I will add this issue in my prayers for you. God Bless
Jim
Linda,
Thank you for that powerful post…You need great courage to do something that God asks us to do…but with the grace of God , He enables us to do it, better than what we can ever imagine…Had gone through many creative intervention of God to teach me obedience, forgiveness…and many more….I have never forgotten those lessons that I have learned the hard way.:)
I pray that God will give you the courage and the right words to speak with your fellow christian and this will be a blessing to you and for many others.
God Bless,
Rani
Rani, Thank you. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. It does seem the lessons we learn the hard way are the ones we remember the best. I just thought of the lyrics to a song called “Faith of a Child” by the O.C. Supertones that says, “Cause I wander from the path so far, Would it be easier, easier to be where you are.” We don’t listen and wander from the path God has set before us. I know it would be easier to be where He is and where He wants me to be. But to know and to do are not always the same. I’m a work in progress. Peace, Linda