If you have been following Jesus for any length of time, you most likely have experienced several of these "UN's" These "UN's" are what I call "brakes" or human reasoning patterns. Now "brakes" do serve a useful purpose. They offer safety and security which is essential to human social stability. However, they can be counter productive when applied to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, church and community, because God's leading normally does not fit our paradigm of the cost of following Jesus in our world and especially in our culture.
Pastor Bill summed up our (Christians) experiences in dealing with the Spirit's leading to follow Jesus as applying "brakes" to avoid fulfilling an divine unexpected request that normally does not fit into our expectation of reason. When the Holy Spirit does blow in our lives, we are challenged to "remove the brakes" and allow God to accomplished something much bigger than we can fathom at the moment. This was the challenge to Peter to enter into and socialize with Cornelius who was a Gentile (Jews had no dealings with Gentiles). But God had a bigger perspective and chose Peter as catalyst to confirm to Apostles at Jerusalem that Gentiles were entitled to the gift of salvation.
Let's be real and honest; if we dare allow God to be God, his purpose for our life and in our lives will not normally fit in the context of our expectations or reasoning. Isaiah 55:9 sums up this principal so well; "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts". With this in mind, I went home yesterday thinking this question; when and how do I apply the brakes when I sense God leading? Especially when it is outside the scope of my defined expectations? I concluded I have done it far too often. And I also discovered it is not easy to take the brakes off. But I started with the 1st step. I repented and prayed that from this moment on, I will seek to be more open and willing to follow Jesus even when his expectation of me is far outside my comfort range.
Have you ever thought about your "brakes". When do you apply them? Why? Holler back please. I would love to hear your stories.
Pastor Larry
Posted on
Mon, August 18, 2008
by Larry Dove