“I think it is God’s will for us to break up,” she said.
“Well, I think it is God’s will for us to keep going together,” I answered.
Quite a conversation to have in the backseat of a VW bug with your roommate and his girl friend in the front seat! To make matters worse, the girl in the back seat wasn’t Carol, and the girl in the front seat was Carol’s cousin!
The issue, however, wasn’t who, but how did we know God’s will for our relationship! She thought one way, and I thought another. Who was right? Do you ever find yourself in a situation like that? You feel very strongly God is leading toward accomplishing some hopes and dreams. Leadership, friends, family all feel God is leading differently. Does God speak out of both sides of His mouth, or is one of you not listening?
This is especially dicey when it comes to things like jobs (your boss lays you off, you get fired), your favorite ministries (you think it is a wonderful way to serve God, but the leadership hears God’s voice to ax it), or your favorite way of doing church (things take a direction you don’t hear God’s voice saying, but others do).
So, what do you do when you are both listening to God and He is saying two different things? Certainly, this was the situation Paul faced in Acts 20 and 21.
AC 20:22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
21:3 We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem…8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea… AC 21:10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, `In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' "
AC 21:12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
Certainly Paul heard the Spirit warning him about trouble in Jerusalem. And, so did all his friends from multiple places. However, they reached opposite conclusions. Paul heard the Spirit compelling him to go to Jerusalem and all the warnings were to get him ready and prevent his discouragement: Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. His friends heard the warnings and thought the Spirit was saying “Don’t go” because it will be hard, dangerous, and perhaps even deadly. Who was right?
Paul seemed sure of the Spirit’s leading and took the recurring warnings as the Spirit’s reassurance that even though bad things would happen, God was still in control. He would need that reassurance when everything went south on him. Difficulties take us somewhere, which was exactly what God later told Paul… AC 23:11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."
Too often we want those we love and care about to avoid pain and struggle. God, however, is often in the pain and struggle (Romans 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 12:8-10). Trying to get them to avoid it would be to distract them from God’s mission, much like Peter in Matthew 16:22. It would be like Mordecai telling Esther, “Don’t Go!”
Who is right? The one who is following God’s call! I’m glad to say that my former girlfriend was right. I’m also grateful that my wife’s cousin never told her about that conversation in the back seat of the VW!
“Well, I think it is God’s will for us to keep going together,” I answered.
Quite a conversation to have in the backseat of a VW bug with your roommate and his girl friend in the front seat! To make matters worse, the girl in the back seat wasn’t Carol, and the girl in the front seat was Carol’s cousin!
The issue, however, wasn’t who, but how did we know God’s will for our relationship! She thought one way, and I thought another. Who was right? Do you ever find yourself in a situation like that? You feel very strongly God is leading toward accomplishing some hopes and dreams. Leadership, friends, family all feel God is leading differently. Does God speak out of both sides of His mouth, or is one of you not listening?
This is especially dicey when it comes to things like jobs (your boss lays you off, you get fired), your favorite ministries (you think it is a wonderful way to serve God, but the leadership hears God’s voice to ax it), or your favorite way of doing church (things take a direction you don’t hear God’s voice saying, but others do).
So, what do you do when you are both listening to God and He is saying two different things? Certainly, this was the situation Paul faced in Acts 20 and 21.
AC 20:22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
21:3 We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem…8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea… AC 21:10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, `In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' "
AC 21:12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
Certainly Paul heard the Spirit warning him about trouble in Jerusalem. And, so did all his friends from multiple places. However, they reached opposite conclusions. Paul heard the Spirit compelling him to go to Jerusalem and all the warnings were to get him ready and prevent his discouragement: Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. His friends heard the warnings and thought the Spirit was saying “Don’t go” because it will be hard, dangerous, and perhaps even deadly. Who was right?
Paul seemed sure of the Spirit’s leading and took the recurring warnings as the Spirit’s reassurance that even though bad things would happen, God was still in control. He would need that reassurance when everything went south on him. Difficulties take us somewhere, which was exactly what God later told Paul… AC 23:11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."
Too often we want those we love and care about to avoid pain and struggle. God, however, is often in the pain and struggle (Romans 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 12:8-10). Trying to get them to avoid it would be to distract them from God’s mission, much like Peter in Matthew 16:22. It would be like Mordecai telling Esther, “Don’t Go!”
Who is right? The one who is following God’s call! I’m glad to say that my former girlfriend was right. I’m also grateful that my wife’s cousin never told her about that conversation in the back seat of the VW!
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