Opinions...

Everyone has one and if you don't believe it just ask someone! But in the grand scheme of things what is the importance of someone's opinion? This is something the Lord has really been showing me recently. If someone comes to me and shares with me somthing they feel the Lord is telling them to do but I am not in full agreement with, who am I to judge? In telling someone that I don't think that is the right thing to do b/c it doesn't exactly line up with what I think they should do I am really limiting God and His ability to be God. Who am I to determine whether someone has clearly heard from God or not? As long as what they feel led to do is not contradictory to the Word of God then who am I to try and persuade someone to do otherwise? I would, in fact, be hindering God's plan for that person's life and what a travesty that would be on my part. I think too much of the time that we are all so much more focused on ourselves; what we want; what we think and its all about ME that we don't even allow room to help others or encourage others. We criticize some in the church for doing something God calls them to do b/c we may not agree with it or we may think WE have a better idea of what should be done. In the midst of deciding between what we should or shouldn't do the world is going to Hell...and we are partly to blame b/c we're too self absorbed with getting our way rather than letting God have HIS way. For example, if a group of people are called by God to travel 10,000 miles away to Africa on a mission trip but you disagree with them going b/c you feel that the money spent on going is more needed in other areas within the church, does that make them wrong and you right? If God has not called you or given you a heart for the mission field then who are you to judge those whom He has called and given that heart? If we all tapped into the real heart of God I'm more confident believing that His heart is for the advancement of the kingdom in terms of souls not dollars. It does take dollars to reach souls and it does take dollars to advance the kingdom of God to some extent...but do we sacrifice the souls in order to put more dollars in the bank? And in the topic of dollars...it all belongs to Christ anyway so who are we to hold back His money from sending a team to Uganda to reach His lost children just b/c in OUR OPINION, we need it in our bank acct? Is it really about putting money in the bank for the ministry or is it about getting YOUR way and proving that you're right? If everyone in the church would tithe at least the 10% God requires (even though 100% is HIS), I believe we'd be able to keep the money in the bank for the necessary functions of the ministry as well as being able to travel the world reaching the nations. Would it be possible for all of us to really seek God's will and not our own? Would it be possible for us to all be in one mind and unified in our thinking and our actions? Imagine what we could all accomplish if we did...Imagine how God would empower us as one unified body like He did in the upper room at Pentecost! How awesome to think...and yet how sad to know that we continue to get in His way...we continue to think what we want to think and we judge and criticize others when, if we disagree with someone else, we should really just pray for ourselves and ask God to show us His way and help us to crucify our own opinions and lay our flesh on the altar. No, its not easy. No, it doesn't feel good. But the end result is so much more worth a little time in the fire than our own comfort and complacency. The souls that will be added to heaven will be worth more than anything we could enjoy here on earth. So...everyone has an opinion...but unless your opinion helps save someone's life or changes the course of history for God's kingdom, then it holds very little importance and is better left unsaid. Let's focus on what God has called US to do individually and use the gifts and talents He's given us to fulfill His plan for our lives and let's encourage others to do the same...we can't all do the same things...but we can all do what God created us to do and when we all work together in those areas the Kingdom of God will benefit and prosper! *Much love* ~me~