RSS

Category Archives: my god is a communicator

Matthew 10:18-20 – On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

My God is…a Communicator Matthew 10:18-20

Matthew 10:18-20 – On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

On my account you will be brought before governors and kings

What’s the likelihood of you or I actually being brought before governors and kings? How many of you have met a king? Maybe a homecoming king, but for most of us that’s the closest thing to a king we’ll likely meet on this earth. Most of us aren’t rubbing shoulders with royalty. Some of you might actually know your governor. You might even be friends with them, but again, most of us probably don’t hang out with our governor.

We may not have daily interaction with the government of our state or nation, but we have those who govern us. We have bosses, parents, teachers, friends and relatives. These people strongly influence what we do and say. They have expectations of us, and try to help us fit in the “norm” of our societies.

But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it

In America, we are blessed to have the freedom to say what we want and to believe what we want, for the most part. But in our places of business, in our schools and sometimes even in our families, we’re not permitted to say what we believe.

Imagine this. You’re at work, and someone rushes in to tell your co-worker that her spouse has been in an accident. Her daughter is on her way to pick her up and take her to the hospital. You instinctively go to your co-worker and ask if you can pray with her. She says yes. You pray together, and your words are received with the compassion they were given. But over in the corner your boss stands looking on. He comes over after your prayer and walks your co-worker out. On his return, he calls you into his office.

You’re nervous. You know your boss has teased you about your beliefs before, but you’ve never been this bold about your faith, and you don’t know how he’ll react. He asks, “What could you say to her in a time like this?”

At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

This is your opportunity. Your chance. Are you going to chicken out or are you going to witness about the one who saved you? Are you going to be more worried about your job, or your bosses faith? In the verse above it says, “when they arrest you”, but we can also think – when they call you into their office. When we’re asked about our faith, we don’t have to worry about the words we’re going to use or saying it perfectly. Instead we can trust that the Holy Spirit will be there helping us to communicate God’s word and heart when we’re witnessing about our faith.

God is still speaking. He’s speaking through you.

Every moment is an opportunity to witness for the Lord. In the grocery store, we can let the person with cranky children and a pile of coupons go in front of us. In our families, we can reconcile with those who are frustrating and have caused us harm. Forgiving them, not because they’re sorry, but because we have a chance to respond differently, because we have been given a gift of eternal life – even though we don’t deserve it. When our children frustrate us, we can respond with patience instead of fury even though they’ve done the same thing wrong everyday this month. We have an opportunity to have the Lord speak through us by His Holy Spirit. That is if we can hold our tongue long enough to turn our thoughts, voices and hearts over to His control.

1 Corinthians 12:3
Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

What are you saying about God?

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

My God is … a Communicator 1 Samuel 3:9-10

1 Samuel 3:9-10 – And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

My God is a communicator.

God talks to me. That’s right, I said it. God talks to me. Is it audible like in the story of Eli and Samuel? No, I guess not. But He does communicate with me in so many ways. He shows me the options I have, the path I should (or shouldn’t) take and communicates forgiveness to me too.

God communicates to me through His Word – The Bible

The first and foremost way God communicates with me is through the Bible. It’s our best resource for hearing the word of God. If you do feel like the Lord is communicating verbally with you, make sure to check it against scripture. If it goes against scripture, you should rethink who’s speaking to you.

The Bible is full of information on how to live, how to forgive, and most importantly professes God’s great love for us. In the Bible you’re able to find answers to most of your concerns. It’s amazing how scripture can seem new each time you read it. It’s amazing.

God Communicates to me through other Christians

Surrounding myself with other Christians who spend time in God’s word is another way the Lord communicates with me. From my counselor, my friends and pastors at my church, I’m surrounded by people who are able to talk to me about the way the Lord has worked in their lives, and I can see His work in my life more clearly.

Through their support, wisdom and knowledge, I am strengthened in my faith and encouraged to continue on faithfully following the Lord. Again, always checking their ideas against God’s word so as to not be lead astray.

God communicates to me through His Creation

I’m not an outdoorsy person. I don’t like bugs, dirt or sweating, but the beauty of the Lord’s creation still moves me. It’s amazing what He has created. The complexity and diversity of each creation is amazing. Now forgive me if this sounds a bit hokey or crazy (I’ve been called worse), but I feel that when nature or the world around me draws my attention to something beautiful or unique, I feel as if the Lord has pointed it out to me so that we can share in that moment. It’s kind of like going on a day trip with your best friend, and they know the area better than you. They point out the good bits and you’re able to enjoy them together and build a memory. When I am spiritually prompted to notice something, I feel like that’s God showing me something he knows better than me, enjoying it with me, so that our relationship might grow deeper and be strengthened by our time together. Ok, laugh if you want to, but I figure if those moments point me to God and help me to praise Him (even if they weren’t divinely inspired moments), then at least I’m still praising God and giving Him the Glory. End result – still ok (even if it’s a bit wacky).

 

How does God communicate with you?

 
2 Comments

Posted by on August 29, 2011 in my god is a communicator

 

Tags: , , , ,