1 John 4:1
Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
A few weeks ago, I bought a lace tablecloth at an estate sale. A friend of mine was managing the sale, and I commented to him that this cloth had a fairly large stain in the middle. He readily replied, “Fels-Naptha soap.” He went on to explain how to use this very old brand of laundry soap to remove stains from clothing. I told him that my “go-to” stain remover was OxiClean®, and he shook his head and said, “No… this is MUCH better.” So I came home and tried Fels-Naptha… with no success. The stain was still as vivid as ever. So I will probably wash the piece again with some OxiClean®… or possibly even some bleach.
Now I’m not saying my friend is a “false prophet.” And maybe this laundry soap does work for him on the stains he has encountered. But social media is FULL of supposed “magic bullets” for cleaning virtually everything these days. Many are sharing these “secrets” with others before they have tried them to personally determine how effective they truly are. And that’s where this scripture passage comes into the picture.
So many of us are taking the word of others over God’s declaration for our lives. We are listening to people who tell us we don’t need this or that… even well-meaning friends and family members who offer their “take” on what God intends. For example… many loving, caring Christians emphasize God’s displeasure with sin and the danger of being tossed into the fiery depths of hell exponentially more than they share with others how much God loves us. I didn’t truly learn about grace, mercy, forgiveness and serving out of a deep desire to show God how much I love Him until I was a grown woman. Like many, those who shared in my early faith lessons meant well… but they operated from a place of fear more than one of grace. And I have to tell you, there is very little peace in serving God from this perspective!
I am encouraging you to share with others and learn from them about what God has in store for you. Hear their thoughts… but test them for yourself. Spend time in prayer and Bible study… ASK God to clearly define what He is telling you. When it comes to the authenticity of God’s word and the presence of His Holy Spirit in your own life, don’t take others’ word for it. Ask questions, make investigations… test the waters a little and see if this is really what God intended for you. Focus on Jesus and His love and sacrifices for you. Operate from a deep, abiding desire to love Him back… not out of turmoil and a fear of retribution… and you will have incredible peace. Know that you know that you KNOW that you are really hearing from God… and enjoy the quiet serenity that comes with living in His wisdom and glory.
©2013 Debbie Robus
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