by Trent - from Feb 2006
Sometimes the Holy Spirit quickens me to just shut up and listen to someone, wait on Him, abide in Him. Then maybe a word or two will come to mind, but not by the mere activity of my reason. I did not calculate that this person "needs" to hear these words. I was just sitting there listening and this simple thing echoes with insistence, landing upon my thoughts like a feather, and then ... well, sometimes I say it, even though I didn't think of it to begin with. I am instructed even by my own words because they are not my own words. They are what God has placed in my mouth to say, beyond my organic autocratic thought. Then I see, how sublime it is to simply be still and wait and abide, and obey whenever He calls.
I contrast this to coming up with a campaign against some doctrinal ignorance and organizing and delivering our solution to the world, motivated by our 'concern' for their 'need.' We figure that they 'need' to know what God has shown us, and we tell them whether or not they are ready to hear it. Often we cram doctrine down people's throats in the most un-gracious of ways. This is how NOT to build the Kingdom ... it is NOT to be our work according to our efforts and conceived our imaginations. For it is "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord."
John 21:4-7b
4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
"No," they answered.
6He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"
I don't want to say that Jesus is my Lord and then live like I'm on my own. I don't want to fish all day and not catch a single fish. I just want to be restful and available, and just hear from Him. Just a single word will be fine, when it is from the Lord Jesus. And that little word from Him will be all that I need, to catch more then I can haul to the shore.
That is what I like about volunteering to answer questions. I can just wait. I don't have to worry if I don't get a single question to answer. That is none of my business anyway. Then again, someone might have a question that the Lord Jesus, by the Spirit, has made me suitable to answer. I'll be happy to be put to use by the Lord for His glory.
May my answer then be by the Holy Spirit, and not from my own mind, nor my own thoughts. Perhaps when I hear what the Lord would have me say, then I'll learn from it as well ... it will impact my mind just as it impacts the person who asked the question. And we will both want to shout (like in the passage above) ... "It is the Lord Jesus!"
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