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Post by ybrown on Feb 9, 2006 17:41:42 GMT -5
I have a critical deadline coming up and about three weeks ago I believe God deposited a solution into my heart that I am to follow. He gave me the solution but I wasn't sure about how to go about executing it. The first time I tried, things didn't work out. Now I'm trying again, taking a different route this time. One that seems "more" right.
One of the things I struggle with and I'm sure a lot of other Christians as well, is knowing the difference between when something is God or when its just you.
So now I'm left wondering, "Did God give me this bright idea or was it something I hashed up on my own?"
How do you know when its God or when its you?
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Post by lanl ns on Feb 9, 2006 17:48:42 GMT -5
I have a critical deadline coming up and about three weeks ago I believe God deposited a solution into my heart that I am to follow. He gave me the solution but I wasn't sure about how to go about executing it. The first time I tried, things didn't work out. Now I'm trying again, taking a different route this time. One that seems "more" right. One of the things I struggle with and I'm sure a lot of other Christians as well, is knowing the difference between when something is God or when its just you. So now I'm left wondering, "Did God give me this bright idea or was it something I hashed up on my own?" How do you know when its God or when its you? I am going to pray with you and ask God to give you clarity and direction regarding this situation........... |
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Post by ybrown on Feb 9, 2006 18:54:11 GMT -5
Thank you, LANL, but in practical terms and for the benefit of everyone, how do YOU know when something is God-given or you-given? And I'm not talking about if something doesn't line up with God's word, I'm talking about real-life, "God I need an answer now or very soon" type situations.
Usually the process I go through is first I make sure the idea/answer does line up with His Word, then I sit quietly with it for a bit - try to soak it in and let my heart capture it. Then after that happens, I get to work.
I have the notion God's ideas aren't hit-or miss, so if we miss, then either it wasn't God at all or we're going about it the wrong way.
Do you have a process?
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Post by kanyon on Feb 9, 2006 20:25:59 GMT -5
In my experience, the 'Life' is the direction. I think of scriptures like ' You have the mind of Christ'..'I am crucufied with Christ, yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the grace of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.' Explaination..as we like a sponge absorb and integrate God into our lives thru His word and the personof the Holy Spirit, we, experiencing His mind, see with His eyes and react to situations like He would. That is not to say that everything is super spiritual either. He looked, He did andit was all very good. Even a bad choice is a good thing because we learn more from our failures than we do through our successes. Relax and let this mind be in in you...  |
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Post by Jasmine on Feb 9, 2006 20:55:48 GMT -5
I agree with kanyon, beautifully put in my opinion.
I do know that with my own life experiences, We don't always get it right the first time, but the next time you try, you will know that because of previous failures you can't go back into it the same way.
A hit and miss doesn't mean that it wasn't God. It was a learning experience. ex: no one becomes a billionaire with a succesful business over night. Some individuals have shut down businesses, filed bankrutcy, and in beginning to pick up the pieces, they remember the failures, and learned from them and now have many succesful business.
I don't think there is a process, I believe you should just trust that which God gave you.
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Post by lanl ns on Feb 10, 2006 11:32:31 GMT -5
Ohmigosh YBrown, I thought i posted my experience; girl it was deep too!!!!!
Anyway to sum it up I said that all experiences we as Saints have are god given because his spirit dwells in us and guides us.... and if you have an idea or desire it is God who put that desire in you....
I also wrote don't allow the enemy to get you off track and get your focus on whether or not it is of God just do it and cause you to miss your deadline....
like Kanyon said if it don't succeed you still have learned something....
Do it Girl reach that goal.... How do I know if it is God or not I simply ask and reflect on it and then I get a calmness in my spirit and go for it.....
Right now i am towing with the decision on buying this new home and I have been praying Lord should we do it or not,, where are we going to get the money from and I need to put a contract on the house within the next few days.
We weren't looking for a new home but I walked in this house the other day and it almost took my breath away...I mean have you all ever had the experience where everything you could possibly dream and want in a house is in this particular house at a decent price....
For the past few days i have been waiting on signs and all of that but I got a peace in my soul yesterday (after the loan officer said approved ;D) the note is higher than what i want but I have decided that with the Lord's help I am going to go for it...........
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Post by lanl ns on Feb 10, 2006 11:34:18 GMT -5
Ohmigosh YBrown, I thought i posted my experience; girl it was deep too!!!!! Anyway to sum it up I said that all experiences we as Saints have are god given because his spirit dwells in us and guides us.... and if you have an idea or desire it is God who put that desire in you.... I also wrote don't allow the enemy to get you off track and get your focus on whether or not it is of God and cause you to miss your deadline.... like Kanyon said if it don't succeed you still have learned something.... Do it Girl reach that goal.... How do I know if it is God or not I simply ask and reflect on it and then I get a calmness in my spirit and go for it..... Right now i am towing with the decision on buying this new home and I have been praying Lord should we do it or not,, where are we going to get the money from and I need to put a contract on the house within the next few days. We weren't looking for a new home but I walked in this house the other day and it almost took my breath away...I mean have you all ever had the experience where everything you could possibly dream and want in a house is in this particular house at a decent price.... For the past few days i have been waiting on signs and all of that but I got a peace in my soul yesterday (after the loan officer said approved ;D) the note is higher than what i want but I have decided that with the Lord's help I am going to go for it........... I needed to edit and couldn't because I am not signed in.....this post reads much better....  |
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Post by ybrown on Feb 10, 2006 13:23:56 GMT -5
Thank you, Kanyon. That scripture was very helpful and you're right, its about relaxing and trusting that since we now have the heart of God, when we follow whats in the heart, we are doing as He wants us to do. Jas, you're right, we don't always get it right the first time. As an impatient person wanting things to be perfect, it can be a challenge sometimes to remember that. It is all about trusting and knowing that He loves us and always wants what's best for us even when we can't see it. That reminds me of that scripture you asked about: perfect love casting out all fears. When we realize, not just with mind knowledge, but with heart knowledge, that He DOES love us, fear can't abide. Fear can't abide where love resides. LANL, Yes, you said it! With the Holy spirit residing, He's piloting, not us, and with Him at the helm, we can't go wrong. (That's why I hate those t-shirts and bumper stickers that say "Jesus is my co-pilot. Co-pilot? Sheesh, if you don't switch seats that plane is going down; but I digress) Thanks, brothers and sisters! You guys rock!! Hey, the Lord just told me that if I'm questioning whether or not it's Him, it probably is because my flesh doesn't give a hoot about what He wants and wouldn't pause for a second to check in with Him. Hallelujah! ;D |
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Post by Jasmine on Feb 10, 2006 14:23:27 GMT -5
Thank you, Jas, you're right, we don't always get it right the first time. As an impatient person wanting things to be perfect, it can be a challenge sometimes to remember that. It is all about trusting and knowing that He loves us and always wants what's best for us even when we can't see it. That reminds me of that scripture you asked about: perfect love casting out all fears. When we realize, not just with mind knowledge, but with heart knowledge, that He DOES love us, fear can't abide. Fear can't abide where love resides.Thank you ybrown, the bolded statment caught my eye. I realize that a self-check examine, needs to occur again. I can't say that I know what I fear at this point, but I know that God doesn't have a blind eye to my fears. |
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Post by keita on Feb 10, 2006 20:51:09 GMT -5
Thank you, Kanyon. That scripture was very helpful and you're right, its about relaxing and trusting that since we now have the heart of God, when we follow whats in the heart, we are doing as He wants us to do. Jas, you're right, we don't always get it right the first time. As an impatient person wanting things to be perfect, it can be a challenge sometimes to remember that. It is all about trusting and knowing that He loves us and always wants what's best for us even when we can't see it. That reminds me of that scripture you asked about: perfect love casting out all fears. When we realize, not just with mind knowledge, but with heart knowledge, that He DOES love us, fear can't abide. Fear can't abide where love resides. LANL, Yes, you said it! With the Holy spirit residing, He's piloting, not us, and with Him at the helm, we can't go wrong. (That's why I hate those t-shirts and bumper stickers that say "Jesus is my co-pilot. Co-pilot? Sheesh, if you don't switch seats that plane is going down; but I digress) Thanks, brothers and sisters! You guys rock!! Hey, the Lord just told me that if I'm questioning whether or not it's Him, it probably is because my flesh doesn't give a hoot about what He wants and wouldn't pause for a second to check in with Him. Hallelujah! ;D Amen! Trust His Love for you! |
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Post by krazeeboi on Feb 10, 2006 23:06:27 GMT -5
It's good to know that I'm not the only one who prays about situations and doesn't get a clear-cut answer about it. The heavens don't boom, I don't get slain in the Spirit and get a vision, nor do I hear a voice. There are some that would like to say that we're not "spiritual enough" unless something like this happens in response to an inquiry. I say, "Hogwash!" I realize now that I have to turn over some rocks and find nothing and open some doors and see nothing; it's part of the maturity process. Here's something from Bible.org that may help:
Question:
Does God communicate to us outside the Bible?
Answer:
Short answer: of course he does! The long answer, however, nuances this a bit more. I don't believe that God's normal M.O. is to give verbal direction to our individual lives. That is not to say that he doesn't guide us with impulses, with pricks of the conscience, with moving circumstances, with bringing things to our memory, etc. But it is to say that he doesn't, as a normal activity, communicate to believers verbally apart from scripture.
To me, this duck doesn't quack the same as the charismatic duck. As far as abuses are concerned when it comes to discerning God's will, as you no doubt know there are legions of heart-breaking stories about people who thought they heard the voice of God tell them to do something. Even some of the better-known Vineyard leaders have had false communications, and have, because of them, (nearly) ruined churches. On the one hand, this posture could well be a moral problem. It's called laziness. I don't think that God expects us to check out our brains when it comes to making decisions.
But I also don't think that God expects us to be omniscient. His normal M.O. seems to be that if we can learn about something through normal means he will not resort to his non-discursive communication with us. Frankly, I got a bit nervous when I read that you "need" to have revelations. That posture can truly hurt you and your flock down the line. When non-charismatics truly depend on the Lord for guidance, they work hard and study hard and pray hard. And they seek the Lord's guidance in all of this. This is Christ-honoring. We should never substitute discursive revelations for the hard work of prayer and research. I, too, agree that some decisions are so monumental that we need to get something from God. But what that something is distinguishes cessationists from charismatics. Charismatics need overt assurances that they are doing the right thing. In some respects, this might not only be a symptom of laziness; it might also be a lack of faith. To insist that God gives me revelations when he wants me to trust him--often over the uncertainties of life--is indeed a lack of faith.
Cessationists, on the other hand, often reduce decision making to simply a listing of the pros and cons about a matter. In this approach, God doesn't even need to get involved! I do believe that the peace of God is something that we can have and should seek. And especially when it comes to major decisions, we should never go into the matter cavalierly. This goes for both sides of the debate.
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Post by Giants Do Die ns on Feb 11, 2006 13:57:16 GMT -5
It's good to know that I'm not the only one who prays about situations and doesn't get a clear-cut answer about it. The heavens don't boom, I don't get slain in the Spirit and get a vision, nor do I hear a voice. There are some that would like to say that we're not "spiritual enough" unless something like this happens in response to an inquiry. I say, "Hogwash!" I realize now that I have to turn over some rocks and find nothing and open some doors and see nothing; it's part of the maturity process. Here's something from Bible.org that may help:
Question:
Does God communicate to us outside the Bible?
Answer:
Short answer: of course he does! The long answer, however, nuances this a bit more. I don't believe that God's normal M.O. is to give verbal direction to our individual lives. That is not to say that he doesn't guide us with impulses, with pricks of the conscience, with moving circumstances, with bringing things to our memory, etc. But it is to say that he doesn't, as a normal activity, communicate to believers verbally apart from scripture.
To me, this duck doesn't quack the same as the charismatic duck. As far as abuses are concerned when it comes to discerning God's will, as you no doubt know there are legions of heart-breaking stories about people who thought they heard the voice of God tell them to do something. Even some of the better-known Vineyard leaders have had false communications, and have, because of them, (nearly) ruined churches. On the one hand, this posture could well be a moral problem. It's called laziness. I don't think that God expects us to check out our brains when it comes to making decisions.
But I also don't think that God expects us to be omniscient. His normal M.O. seems to be that if we can learn about something through normal means he will not resort to his non-discursive communication with us. Frankly, I got a bit nervous when I read that you "need" to have revelations. That posture can truly hurt you and your flock down the line. When non-charismatics truly depend on the Lord for guidance, they work hard and study hard and pray hard. And they seek the Lord's guidance in all of this. This is Christ-honoring. We should never substitute discursive revelations for the hard work of prayer and research. I, too, agree that some decisions are so monumental that we need to get something from God. But what that something is distinguishes cessationists from charismatics. Charismatics need overt assurances that they are doing the right thing. In some respects, this might not only be a symptom of laziness; it might also be a lack of faith. To insist that God gives me revelations when he wants me to trust him--often over the uncertainties of life--is indeed a lack of faith.
Cessationists, on the other hand, often reduce decision making to simply a listing of the pros and cons about a matter. In this approach, God doesn't even need to get involved! I do believe that the peace of God is something that we can have and should seek. And especially when it comes to major decisions, we should never go into the matter cavalierly. This goes for both sides of the debate.
I disagree with some of the assesments made here. We are encouraged by the Word of God to seek GOD in every way with decisions in our lives. Part of developing our spiritual ear is actually asking God and then waiting on Him to reveal HIS will, purpose and direction in our lives. Its also a combination of both. I dont seek God as to whether I should get up and go to work today. God provided the job to bring income and I can only receive the income if I actually work. However if I was seeking a change in career I would shurely seek the Lord concerning what career, what to do, and when to do it. I have never found where God does Not reveal an answer. I have found where I havent paid attention to the answer, misinterpreted what God said, wouldnt do what God said do or didnt like the answer I have been given. God speaks verbally. We see this all through out scripture, so I dont think thats the issue. I believe however when we make statements like " God said" we tend to interpret that as always anaudible voice in our hearing ear. Sometimes its that and sometimes its God speaking to your spirit directly, sometimes its a dream or a vision, sometimes its confirmation through someone else, sometimes is a rhema word from scripture that applies to your situation. I have never known God to be aloof and distant when it comes to His children. Its often times our own intellect in the way ( and no I dont believe God displaces intellect, I believe HE doesnt place it above His wisdom or counsel ) |
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