Listen and Follow

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.  Amen.

Today’s Reading:  Matthew 7

So many times I have judged people without even really realizing that I was judging.  It is so easy to see the wrong in someone else’s life, so many times I have looked at situations and thought that I knew best, that if they would just listen to me everything would work out for them.  I honestly thought I was doing all this with the best intentions, mostly thinking that it was my Christian responsibility to get them on the right path.  I have come to realize that my Christian responsibility is to love the ones around me and to trust God to give me the words to say to them or to simple be quiet and leave the task of getting them on the right path to God.  Scripture is so true when it says that we can see the speck of dust in someone else’s eye without seeing the plank in our own.  I can only control myself and my actions, therefore that is the only thing that I need to have full rein over.  Besides, I have plenty of things that I need to improve about myself that I don’t have time to try and fix everyone else.

When I was young I took verses 7 & 8 very literal and would often wonder why God did not give me what I asked for, but now I am unbelievably thankful that he didn’t give me all that I wanted because I am certain that my life would probably be in a mess right now if that had happened.  So what is Jesus telling us here?  I believe that he is saying that if you ask for my assistance I will assist you and if you knock on my door, I will always be there to listen.  When I think about what I have asked for he always came through for me, even when it wasn’t how I thought it should be.  When I asked him not to take my aunt, he did, but through everything he gave me a strength that I never knew I had.  I have never told anyone, but he also spoke to me and said now you pray and I knew exactly what he meant.  You see my aunt was a great prayer warrior and I was not.  I have prayed my whole life, but I had never been a person who seeks God on behalf of others on a regular basis…she was!  I knew God was telling me that I needed to step it up, that I cannot depend on others to do what I was called to do.  I miss her tremendously, but I have grown closer to God because of her life.  You see Jesus has a plan and although that plan may not be what I want, it is what I need.  Even during the times that I did not feel worthy to go to Him, he welcomed me with open arms.  Sometimes there are no words, it is just about lying there face down allowing Jesus to forgive you and hold you. 

There are so many false prophets, teachers, preachers, books, and everything else out there, that is why it is our personal responsibility to read God’s Word.  You have to know that you know, we can never depend on anyone else to give us the knowledge that only God can give us.  I told my Sunday school class the other day that while I would never intentionally lead anyone in the wrong direction, they should never put all their trust in what I teach them on Sunday mornings.  Instead they should follow up on what I said, they should go back and read the scriptures for themselves.  As much as I love God and desire to do his will, I am still human and I will mess up, but Jesus, on the other hand, will never lead anyone in the wrong direction.  What I am trying to say is that there will be people that are false prophets and intentionally lead you astray, but it is your responsibility to know the truth about God’s Word so that you can differentiate between false teachers and teachers that are true to God’s Word.

We not only have to read and know God’s Word, but we have to apply it to our lives.  We have to seek his will through his word and through prayer.  It took me a long time, but I finally learned that my plans are not always God’s plans.  However, his plans are so much better than mine, he has so much more for me than I could ever imagine for myself.  The catch---I have to do what he asks me to do, I have to follow the guidelines that he has set for us all.  “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority and not as their teachers of the law” (vs. 28-29).  Jesus did and continues to have all authority and so he does not simple gives us laws to obey, but when we truly listen and follow him, he teaches us how to live.