Pleasing God vs Pleasing Man!

 

I am preparing to lead a Dicipleship Group on Sunday Mornings. My purpose is to model what it looks like to lead a discipleship group by ..... leading a discipleship group. I was given a curriculum a few months ago and have been searching for something that really gets to the core of MAKING DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES. As a part of the curriuculum you have an assigned Bible reading each day and then you journal about it. Weekly you meet with a DISCIPLESHIP GROUP to discus your experiences with the Holy Spirit throughout the week and to discus how you have been applying the readings to your daily life. Today I read Acts 10 and there was one short passages that stood out for me:

"'No, Lord,' Peter declared, 'I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws hve declared impure and unclean.' But the voice spoke again: 'Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.' The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven." (Acts 1014-16, NLT)

Peter was arguing with God in his vision. How many times have I argued with God? Arguing with God is what I would call "SHORT TERM DISOBEDIENCE." There is that point in your life where you really question God and ask, 'REALLY LORD, IS THIS WHAT YOU REALLY WANT ME TO DO?" or you might be even more bold, and say, 'NO WAY LORD, there is no way I can do that. You are going to have to get someone else.' I instantly think of Jonah. I really don't think I want to live two minutes in the belly of a great fish, let alone three days. 

Have you been arguing with God? Sometimes it is not obvious exactly what you are arguing about. Yet, if you take a longer look, you realize YES I AM FIGHTING against the LORD! In my life, that comes when I am trying to please everyone. (Which I want you to know IS NOT POSSIBLE!) I try to make everyone happy and it is during those times I put God on the back burner. That doesn't sound like a knock-down-drag-out-fight, but it has the same affect. My attempt to please the WORLD instead of pleasing the Lord is like saying, 'NO, LORD, you are wrong and the world is right!'

I have some challenging conversations I need to have with people and I need to realize, GOD HAS GIVEN ME A CLEAR VISION. I cannot doubt that. God is sovereign and if I ask his direction and refuse to take it, what good is it that I even ask him. 

Please Lord, help me stay focused on the YOUR MISSION. Help me to focus on what you want me to do, every waking minute, hour, day, and week. Help me to have difficult conversations when others have priorities different than yours Lord. Help me to communicate in Love, Patience, Gentleness, Kindness, and with Self-control. Help me be able to share your vision in a way that will inspire others to join. Amen!

"For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts." (1 Thessalonians 2:4, NLT)

This week I will not be afraid to share God's vision with those who question the plan!

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