Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Dangers of working alone

“What is this thing that you are doing for the people? 
Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand 
before you from morning until evening?”

Exodus 18:14

In our zeal to please God and advance His kingdom, we Christians often take on responsibilities God never intended us to have. One of the great challenges of the Christian life is determining what God does not want us to do! Sometimes our good intentions cause more harm than good.

Moses was aware of the need for someone to settle disputes among the Israelites. Someone had to help those former slaves learn how to live together as the people of God, so Moses took it upon himself to meet this need. Long lines of unhappy people, hoping to have their cases heard, stood before Moses each day. Moses spent day after day carrying the weight of his nation's problems on his shoulders. Finally his father-in-law, an outsider, witnessed what Moses was doing and challenged the wisdom of his actions. Moses was taking on more than he could handle. He was wearing himself out trying to do what was impossible for one person. In doing this service alone, Moses was robbing others of an opportunity to serve the Lord. He was also doing a disservice to his people, who otherwise could have had their issues resolved much sooner.
When you become aware of a need, do not automatically assume God wants you to meet it. The only reason to perform ministry is that God clearly tells you it is His will. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all that you are doing, you are probably doing more than God has asked. Pray carefully about the assignments you take on, so that you don’t rob yourself and others of God's best. - Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day 

Helping others isn't necessarily a bad or even necessary a hard thing to do.  Whether or not it's for YOU to do is where discernment needs to come in. 

It's been decades since I first was out on my own. In those years I had thought that I had figured out what it was that God had in mind for me to do and I rushed headlong into it.  Little did I realize that in my rushing ahead that I had left Jesus behind.  What I saw that was a mission was in reality a mistake.  It wasn't what I saw it to be.  
When it's in our power to help, in many cases, we ought to help.  But care must be taken to determine if we are being shown a situation to pray for or a situation where it is indeed for us to engage in.

I learned the very hard way that things aren't always what they seem to be.  I was an online person who was taking on the burdens of others over and over again.  Their leaving their problems with me might have helped them but I was ill equipped to handle the sheer volume of the negativity. 

God did indeed have a Plan for me to help people but rather than wait n learn what it was, I haphazardly ran into a burning building and if it wasn't for His rescue years later I wouldn't be here today. 

Many people tend to rush in where Angels fear to tread. If God and Angels aren't where we are then we probably shouldn't be there. 

Reading Paul's life in the Bible, there were many places he wished to go but was prohibited by the Spirit from going.  He also allowed his way of thinking to mess up a few relationships that later in life he now saw was his mistake.  

If Paul and Moses could mess up interpreting life, when we do it, we are in good company. 

Pray first then wait second then see if God is wanting you to get involved.  Life isn't always a simple matter as like switching on a light to get to a resolution. 

I know of people in the midst of demonic influence and really would like to rush in to remove them from such a horrific situation but it's not for me to do.  I can, however, continue to pray for them.  Angels and Jesus can go safely where I cannot. 

There was never a time when Jesus ever had the wrong things to say to anyone.  I,  on the other hand, do not have His discernment to know the exact things to say.  For me it takes much prayer.  Even then it can still be a rough road.  

Be careful of what it is you think God wants of you to do.  He might be wanting you to be praying about it more before you get into it or it may not be for you to be involved in it. You may sometimes be someone else's reinforcements through prayer. 

In those years, decades ago, in my bumbling through what I thought God wanted of me, I am certain that I have done more damage than good in people's lives.  Because it was my wisdom that was being used, not His. It was my energy, efforts and all that was being expended.  I still pray for those people whom I likely harmed in what I did.  

When what you do has God's seal of approval, there's no way it can fail. 
When what you do doesn't have God's seal of approval, there's to earthly way for it to succeed.  It will eventually be more than you can handle. You will be the one to start drowning. 

Decades later, it seems that what I was shown of being a help to people has indeed come about.  This blog. Whereas I barely touched a few dozen people or so in my futile effort, today this blog has been seen by more than I ever thought possible.  The difference is God's blessing on it. 

Before jumping in or before you choose not to do something that God has put before you, pray.  The Spirit will help guide you, but it's you who must listen.  It's up to His sheep to hear His voice. 

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