Here’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while... what if God is more?
Let me explain. We can get so caught up with our view of things that we become narrow-minded. We start accusing other Christians of “doing it wrong” because their way is not our way. We say things like, “The Holy Spirit can’t have come on that person because they were pushed over.” We come up with a set of rules by which God works, and if something happens which doesn’t fit in, then we say that it can’t be God. Some people have even made a list of “false prophets” to beware of... people who break the “rules” but still see supernatural consequences, and some even go so far as to say that such people are in league with the demonic.
The people who make the lists are just waiting for such people to make a mistake, then they pounce on them and degrade their entire ministry... as if to say that God’s power only flows from those who have got it perfect.
But what if God is more than that? Could we handle it?
What if God uses the prosperity gospel preachers to reach out to people? What if God uses the wealthy televangelist to speak to thousands who sit in front of their TV? What if God really does use healing crusades as a chance to show His love to His people?
What if God uses every part of the “body of Christ” to His advantage? It’s like a hand saying to the foot, “God can’t use you because you’re not a hand!” Or the eye saying to the ear, “You’re useless unless you repent and become an eye!” Whilst we all bicker because a church thousands of miles away isn’t like our own, God still speaks. God is bigger than our petty arguments.
Jesus’ disciples once complained to him that people were using his name to cast out demons. Jesus told them not to stop him. (Mark 9:38-41)
Just because someone isn’t doing things our way, we shouldn’t let that become an issue. As long as we’re sure of why we do things the way we do them – and we’re happy that God is pleased with how we do it – surely we can understand that God uses different people in different ways? The God I believe in is bigger and more powerful than the reflection of Him that my church shows as it reaches out to the community.
Let me explain. We can get so caught up with our view of things that we become narrow-minded. We start accusing other Christians of “doing it wrong” because their way is not our way. We say things like, “The Holy Spirit can’t have come on that person because they were pushed over.” We come up with a set of rules by which God works, and if something happens which doesn’t fit in, then we say that it can’t be God. Some people have even made a list of “false prophets” to beware of... people who break the “rules” but still see supernatural consequences, and some even go so far as to say that such people are in league with the demonic.
The people who make the lists are just waiting for such people to make a mistake, then they pounce on them and degrade their entire ministry... as if to say that God’s power only flows from those who have got it perfect.
But what if God is more than that? Could we handle it?
What if God uses the prosperity gospel preachers to reach out to people? What if God uses the wealthy televangelist to speak to thousands who sit in front of their TV? What if God really does use healing crusades as a chance to show His love to His people?
What if God uses every part of the “body of Christ” to His advantage? It’s like a hand saying to the foot, “God can’t use you because you’re not a hand!” Or the eye saying to the ear, “You’re useless unless you repent and become an eye!” Whilst we all bicker because a church thousands of miles away isn’t like our own, God still speaks. God is bigger than our petty arguments.
Jesus’ disciples once complained to him that people were using his name to cast out demons. Jesus told them not to stop him. (Mark 9:38-41)
Just because someone isn’t doing things our way, we shouldn’t let that become an issue. As long as we’re sure of why we do things the way we do them – and we’re happy that God is pleased with how we do it – surely we can understand that God uses different people in different ways? The God I believe in is bigger and more powerful than the reflection of Him that my church shows as it reaches out to the community.
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