mixed, murky and manipulative motives…

the bible says in 1 john 4.1 (niv), dear friends, do not believe every spirit.  but test the spirits to see whether they are from GOD.  we make decisions on totally human bases and throw out a whole assortment of ouija board methods.  and then we will tag on to that, that’s how GOD is leading my life.  all these weird circumstances happen.  that must be GOD leading my life.

i heard about the college student needing a car.  he didn’t know which car GOD wanted him to purchase.  one night he had a dream.  in his dream everything was yellow.  so when he woke up the next morning, he believed GOD had given him his answer in that dream.  so after going to several used car lots, he found a car that was yellow inside and outside.  everything about the car was yellow.  he bought it without even test driving it.  appropriately it was a lemon.

we do try to know GOD’s will in some crazy ways.  “LORD, let this next traffic light be green and i know i should keep this appointment…  LORD, let my telephone ring by 9 p.m. and i’ll know this is the guy i should date.”  some of you are asking, “can’t GOD speak like that?” 

i believe that GOD can do anything HE wants.  in numbers 22 the bible says that GOD spoke through a donkey one time.  but that doesn’t mean i go to a barnyard every time i want to make a decision.  good decisions are not usually made in these weird fashions because so much of that can be manipulated and controlled by us. 

“he didn’t call by 9:00.  ok, GOD, if he calls by 9:10 it’s still your will for me to go out with him.”  we impose our motive into those weird kind of circumstantial things.  our motives are so mixed and so murky and can be so manipulative.  we say, “it’s GOD’s will for me to go to that college because the academics are so strong.”  but the truth is that’s where our boyfriend/girlfriend has decided to go to school.  we say, “i believe it’s GOD’s will for me to take that job.  i’ll use the extra money to support charity.”  but the truth is we want the extra money and we want the promotion.  we say, “i think it’s GOD’s will for me to do this now.  i have to catch the wave.”  but the truth is we’re bored and we just want extra stimulation in our lives.  some waves should be caught and the truth is no surfer catches every wave.  that’s why we need GOD’s help – to know the difference between waves, to know whether we should do it now or later or at all.  because we have such muddy motives.

proverbs 16.2 (ncv) says, we may think we know what is right, but the LORD is the judge of our motives.  the first decision we can all make that will help all the other decisions in our life is to be willing to live life GOD’s way.

just a thought from the front porch…