More thoughts...

More thoughts that kind of flow from my thoughts from the last post...

I think it is a popular thing to believe that whatever happens is God’s Will and is what God desires to happen in our lives.  It is an idea almost like fate… we are completely out of control and uninvolved in the happenings in this world.  That whether we speak up when the Holy Spirit prompts us to speak or not… it won’t affect what happens.  Because God is sovereign therefore what’s going to happen is going to happen regardless of what we do.  This ideology flows into prayer as well… Because we feel this way in regards to our role on this earth, we don’t feel an urgency to pray… Because what God wants to happen will happen regardless of what we do, what we pray, whether or not we’re faithful or perseverant in prayer.  

We say that a lot because we don’t want to make people feel bad about messing up, not speaking up, or not following the prompting of the Holy Spirit… we want to say, “don’t worry about it.”  Your actions won’t affect those around you... that person will get warned by someone else… or will be encouraged by someone else.  This way of thinking takes all responsibility off of ourselves…  Nothing we do or don’t do matters.

When we have this mindset… our purpose isn’t really a purpose.  We say we have a purpose to further God’s kingdom; a purpose to make his glory known in our lives.  But if we do anything about it… well… it doesn’t really matter because what will happen will happen.  After all, God’s sovereign.  

I am going to argue that this is false… in fact I think this mindset is a lie from Satan to keep us from being effective vessels in bringing more of God’s kingdom here on earth.  Satan wants us to think that our faithfulness and that our actions won’t affect others, that our prayers aren’t necessary.  He doesn’t want us to labor in prayer; he doesn’t want us do everything that the spirit leads us to do.

Ezekiel 33:8-9   If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.  9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.  

The Watchman was put in charge of seeing the sword coming and warning the people…  If he warned the people and they didn’t do anything about it, they died for their sins, but the watchman didn’t have guilt on his hands.  However, if the watchman did not do his duty and warn the people, the people still died for their sins.  The watchman’s actions had an impact on the lives of the others.  It was his role to warn the people and when he didn’t… the people didn’t get warned and they died.  Sounds like our actions can positively or negatively affect others.

When we act in disobedience, our disobedience can hurt other people.  We like to think that we won’t affect people… but I think that this is so false.  The watchman’s actions sure did affect people.  If he had warned people, some people might have turned from their sin, but he didn’t do his duty and didn’t warn them. 

This idea is uncomfortable.  We want to think that we have nothing to do with anything.  That we don’t have any responsibility.  In James, he talks about how Teachers will be judged more strictly… why???  Again, because what they do and say can lead people closer or farther away from Christ.  Their obedience and disobedience can positively or negatively affect those around them. 

James 3:1  Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

So just as our prayers have weight, so do our actions.  God has given us that freedom.  Not only are we hurting ourselves when we don’t live in step with the spirit, but we also are not showing the glories of Christ in our lives to others around us.  Having this in mind, I think, dramatically changes the way that we live.