So if you can I’d like you to think of a time you spending some time with the Lord in which you received revelation that had the potential to change your life in some way. Maybe it was something that was drastically different than the way you’d always believed. Maybe you were reading a book and had the same experience.
It’s so good right? When God challenges us and the fog begins to clear and we recognize things we never have before-things that definitely wouldn’t qualify as “traditional”. It’s hard…but it’s incredible. It can feel like a spring bursting from hard ground deep within us. Maybe it waters places in us we thought were dead or didn’t know existed at all.
The excitement and passion builds and we quickly decide that this revelation isn’t just for us and others should experience the same freedom and life we’ve just received. So we gather our friends or wait until a small group setting and begin to share. We are full of zeal and intense desire to see the people we care about “get it”.
Before too long we realize that the faces staring back at us aren’t those of acceptance, new-found freedom or even a glimpse of the excitement we’ve experienced. What we see instead is confusion, hesitance, fear and even anger. The questions and even accusations we get back put us on the defensive. We come away wounded and sometimes wonder if relationship can be salvaged.
Now before you might give in to the temptation to identify as the victim, get sad and agree that people just don’t get it, I think we should recognize something. Though not every situation is the same and responsibility of relationship break-down usually falls on all parties, most likely the main problem in the above (personally well-known) scenario is not them. The main problem is, in fact, us.
Many people have been hurt and relationships destroyed by people full of new revelation and unbridled zeal. I think there are three main reasons for this.
1. We take ideas and thoughts to others without giving God a chance to refine them. We get a picture or read a book and think that’s it. No more processing needed. (Facebook anyone?) We don’t really wrestle with it ourselves and so when we try to explain it to others it’s just confusing and awkward. It makes sense to us but it’s just gibberish to others. We may even completely misrepresent whatever it is and cause people to fear for our salvation.
2. Those we are trying to tell just aren’t ready for it. Mary pondered things in her heart for a reason. Jesus told us not to throw pearls to swine for a reason (a hard reference but point made). We all move with God at our own pace. Just because I’m ready to hear something doesn’t mean you are…or even should be. God doesn’t drag us along. He doesn’t bash us with revelation He knows we can’t receive. He meets us at our speed. That’s what love is. What gives us the right to try and pull people up to where we are? That’s not love. That’s us convinced everyone needs to be where we are. That’s got pride written all over it.
3. The revelation we received is just completely wrong. We must be open to considering that we misunderstood God. We may have heard wrong. That author may be wrong. We might just be wrong. Think about it J.
I just recently learned this lesson again (it’s been a nasty habit of mine but I’m getting better…prayer appreciated J). I was rocked by a book I read (still being rocked by it). In it are very challenging things that the author has wrestled with for 20 (yes 20) years. So me, in all my wisdom, read 3 chapters (out of 12) and decided others needed to know and that I was qualified to explain it to them. Well it was just not fun…not fun at all. And it was completely my fault.
Listen, I need revelation. We all do. There are things we all believe…cherished beliefs that are just plain wrong. But just because God speaks into your life and changes one of those areas doesn’t mean it’s your job to change it in others.
I think that so many times God gives revelation with the intention that we hold onto it for the time being. I think that most of the time it’s just for us. Mary pondered in her heart. I think we could all use so much more of that.
The longer things sit in us the more God can work with it and weed out the parts that come from us. That way, when he releases us to speak about it, it’s just as challenging, but it’s so much more grounded and loving and gentle.
Blessings,
Jesse and Kara Birkey
Sid Roth on Life Resurrected
“This next, greatest, and perhaps last move of God’s Spirit before His return will use nobodies to operate in a level of miracles that the world has never seen! This book will supernaturally release your faith to do the same works as Jesus and even greater.” -Sid Roth,
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