God Told You to Tell Me What? By ACHUCKAllen
A few Sunday’s ago, I was preaching in a great church in Tennessee. I had something happen that I’ve never seen in 30 years of ministry and something that seems to happen more than I’d prefer.
First, let’s talk about something I’ve never seen before. It’s a great deal more pleasant than the other. I finished the first of three services and had a 92-year-old woman give her life to Christ. Her exact words were, “I’ve been religious for 80 years, trying to do good, I think I want to trust Jesus one on one.” Come on! Get fired up! Are you kidding me? That was awesome.
When I finished the third service a lady about my age came up to me and said, “Pastor Chuck, I just have to tell you something.” Based on the first two services, I thought, “I’ll bet she has a great testimony and was mesmerized by my thoroughly eloquent sermon.” I should have seen it coming. You know, Proverbs 16:18,“Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.” I must have checked my humility at the door instead of my ego.
Well, back to this riveting conversation. She said, “God had given her deliberate instructions to tell me that I was fat and needed to lose weight if He were to ever use me in ministry.” Bless the Lord! I had no stinking idea that I was fat! I have been assuming that the mirror in my closet was somehow deceiving me.
I recognize that she was correct. I am indeed too fat and my testimony would indeed be better if I were to lose weight, but come on! Did God send her with that word? Really?
Listen, friend, this world has plenty of folks that can tell any of us what’s wrong with us. I totally get the whole biblical accountability thing, but isn’t Jesus calling us to be a part of seeing old people and young people come to know Jesus as opposed to finding what’s wrong with each other?
God may have indeed told her to tell me that, but I wondered how many times I have said or done something like that, and laid the fault on God as I threw the trump card down with the “God told me face card?”
Yesterday (and that Sunday) is gone and tomorrow isn’t here yet. So, here’s a thought: Let’s be fully present today. Let’s listen to God with an ear toward what He want’s to do in us before rushing to what’s wrong with everybody else.
Jesus was pretty clear on this one. Sawdust in someone else’s eye and a telephone pole in yours.
Bring Your Part of Peace Into the World Today,
AChuck