Hi all,
Today
I'm going to show how people moved by fear make unwise or
stupid decisions even if they don't realize they are being moved by
fear, thinking at the time they are doing something right in the Lord.
Jesus
said 'wisdom is known/justified by her children', which means a wise
decision often isn't seen as wise at the time, but will be confirmed to
have been wise by the ramifications and results (children) of the
decision. (Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:35)
An idiot of myself?
It
was the first time I had ever taken apart a toilet. Chris thought a toy
should go for a swim, but it had become lodged on the way down, beyond
reach. I remember the Jason's cry from upstairs like it was yesterday:
"Mom! Dad! Chris flushed my Lego man down the toilet and now there's
water all over the floor!"
In my fiddling I had also jarred something that made it 'run' constantly, and jiggling the handle didn't fix it.
So
off I went to a hardware store and bought everything in the toilet
section that resembled the innards of our toilet, as well as a tool
to extract things lodged in a toilet that shouldn't be there in the
first place.
I
made the boys keep their distance as I laid out all the parts on the
bathroom floor like some master mechanic about to assemble a complicated
piece of machinery, though I hadn't a clue how they all worked
together. "There" I thought, "Now I have enough parts to make a complete
idiot of myself."
By
process of elimination I figured out what needed to be done, learning
the first lesson the wet way - turn off the incoming water supply! But
eventually Lego man was saved and we had a working toilet again.
Not knowing what part goes where in decision making
When
decisions are laid before us like the dozens of parts to a toilet, we
are unsure how they fit together. We pray "Lord help me!" and then march
on, putting the pieces together the way we think the pieces of our life
should go, only to discover later we made an idiot of
ourselves...wisdom, or stupidity, is known by her children. We look back
years later wishing we could flush the memory from our minds, and
wonder....
Fear
is subtle when it comes to decision making. You truly have to know the
Father and know His peace in your spirit, as well as know when to use
common sense and your own judgment, to make wise decisions. You also have to realize fear is a spirit - an individual spirit who torments you.
So today
I present the first of 3 examples that are composites of everyone and
specific to no one, seen in one form or another over nearly 40 years
walking with the Father and in ministry most of that time.
#1 - Work situation fear
I
needed to confront someone at work about their behavior, but didn't
want to do it. The fear was I'd be fired as it was my boss' boss. That
fear led to thinking about Barb and kids who depended on me as the sole
income. That fear led to the boys not being able to stay in the
Christian school, and that fear led to me potentially back at the start
in some minimum wage position.
And
that led to thoughts of selling the house, moving to a cramped
apartment...all the worst situations. I began to wonder if it was time
for the Lord to open other doors of ministry for me, the standard, "The
Lord is moving me on" rationalization/lie/half-truth so many use to
cover the truth of their exit from a position.
So
I knew first and foremost I had to look to Him to see how I could
become more Christ-like in this situation, and what I saw I didn't like -
boldness, standing up for what is right no matter the consequences. I so
wished it meant moving on to another job...that would seem to be the
easy way out. I wanted an escape from a bad-tempered boss, not having to
grow in Christ by confronting him. But I did, and he appreciated the
fact I was one of the few who were not 'yes men' - I gave him straight
answers whether he liked it or not.
Centering on the Lord
Over
nearly 4 decades I've seen people explaining away their lack
of backbone as 'the Lord is moving me on'. Obviously the Lord does often
move us on, but I'm talking about people choosing to back away from a
situation by getting another job instead of showing the boldness of a
David or Ruth and seeing personal growth, and missing seeing His
faithfulness on the other side of the situation.
Usually
someone comes in my office or calls or emails that their boss or
co-worker is horrible, cursing and saying unethical or immoral things,
and often the boss or co-worker is mismanaging their position or
company...all of which is true as bosses and coworkers who do the above
have larger personal issues.
But
when I tell people to consider the possibility that the Lord is trying
to grow them as a person, that people like Joseph, Daniel, Deborah,
Ruth, young Samuel, and David all needed not a way of escape from a
situation, but saw the way of escape was THROUGH the situation into
greater maturity in the Lord, they turn away.
There
is a time to leave a situation like that, but my experience has been
only after you as the salt, have had time to lay out right and wrong to
them so they know what could be done. IF they reject His grace which is
through you, then the Lord moves you on for they are rejecting not you,
but Him in you.
Many
first think 'escape' rather than 'how can I become more like Jesus' in
this situation? They would rather uproot their lives, their spouse,
their children, their circle of friends looking for a way of escape via
another job, trying every way possible to use God as an explanation for
giving them a new job, rather than just growing a backbone to stand up
and use the authority their position in the firm gives them.
Fear
of man is one of the most prevalent fears out there, and the same
people who will boast of Christ in them and what amazing things God is
doing, posting things in social media or testifying to friends and at
church about what God is doing, suddenly lose that boldness when it
comes to being the man or woman of God they should be. They think escape
instead of standing up to a boss, a co-worker, a peer at work and
confronting and/or drawing boundaries as to where they will and will not
go.
Dealing with fear BEFORE you pray
Philippians
4:4-6 is one of the few step-by-step instructions in the Word. Paul
said "(1) Be careful for nothing, but by (2) prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving make your requests make known to God. (3) And the
peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep (hem in, guard)
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
The
trouble I was having was that I was carrying the fear all the way
through my prayers, and as a result I had no more peace at my 'amen'
than I did at the start. So I took Paul's instructions as step 1, then
step 2, and then 3, peace will be the result.
I
wrestled with fear and worry for 3 weeks, my request waiting like a
pressure cooker on the back burner until I dealt with the fear, but I
dared not speak my request until I could honestly say I was 'careful for
nothing'. I worked through all the possible combinations in my mind like I did when figuring out the pieces to that toilet.
At
the end of each road of fear I found Him standing there with a track
record in our lives of faithfulness. Once the final road of fear had
been mentally traveled, THEN I unleashed my requests on Him with
thanksgiving.
And
suddenly the peace from Him overwhelmed my spirit...I knew He had
heard, knew He had made provision, and knew the pieces to my situation
would be put together in His right order...Now I instantly deal with the
fear and can pray and receive that peace - but first starting, it was
hard!
Freedom
from fear allows us the boldness to do what is right no matter the
consequences. Sometimes that means confronting someone at work, the lone
employee to define right and wrong, moral and immoral, ethical and
unethical for them, choosing to be a Daniel or Ruth rather than lie
about how the 'Lord opened a new job for me' to everyone.
Sure
He did open the job for you, but rest assured, you WILL face that fear
of man on down the road, in this job or the next, because He is trying
to conform us to Him and won't give up until He completes the work in
us. Next week, family relationship situations.
More on fear and decisions next week! Blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
New CD/MP3 Series:
What
happens to the Lord's original plan when years are spent off in another
direction either due to your own woundedness or circumstances beyond
your control, or your own mistakes? Is it too late to get back on track
and be in His perfect will and plan? What can we do to get back on track
in His perfect will, and how do we know His perfect will when we get
there? Those are the questions this series answers through examples in
the Word of people in the same situation, and examples in real life, as
well as sharing visitations John's had about this subject. You will gain
keen insight, direction, and peace in this series!
(2 cd/MP3, $12/set or MP3 $10)
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