God Told Me!

Inspired from notes and reactions to “Learning to Hear God Without Making Ourselves God,” Practicing the Way Devotions 18, Volume 2, by Shannon Kapp

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

“Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophecies,
but test everything;
hold fast what is good.”

1 John 4:1

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”

Some Words are Scarry

We welcome and savor personal, precious moments during which God shares His heart with us, illuminating His will, intents, and purposes for our lives. There are times, however, when our passion for such occasions may cause us to describe those experiences with words that can be inflexible and, to some people, downright terrifying:

“God told me.”

Without question, God reaches out to His children to comfort, guide, and direct them in negotiating the challenges of life as it presents itself. However, the thought represented by these three particular words allows no possibility for fault or a miscalculation of the frail and flawed beings that we are. Additionally, it becomes much more problematic to subscribe to this concept when it includes issues involving others, making harmonious disagreement impossible. You understand, if “God told me,” then your quarrel is not with me but with the Almighty Himself!

The absolute certainty conveyed by this expression is prone to become manipulative rapidly. I served on a pastoral staff whose senior minister used similar language indicating he heard directly from God on nearly all matters. This was his primary leadership method. For instance, if another staff pastor assigned to lead a portion of a service sensed prompting by the Holy Spirit to flow spontaneously in one way or another, that staff pastor knew he had better check in with the “boss” before proceeding. Otherwise, there would be a meeting later.

Yes! We should listen carefully to perceive the voice of our Lord and Shepherd, but we dare not immerse every thought, desire, emotion, coincidence, and gut feeling in terminology that conveys: “God told me.”

Take the Humble Approach

First, we must admit that we are not Divine. Our ears are not infallible, and our antennae are not always in perfect alignment to precisely receive Heaven’s holy beacons. Maturity should restrain us from confusing our personal confidence and conviction for absolute accuracy. To say, “I believe God may be (or is) disclosing His will,” is not fragile faith. It is leaving space for the prospect of human error.

Regrettably, because things like the gifts of the Spirit, inspirations from the Spirit, and unplanned guidance from the Spirit can be messy in terms of human comprehension, most Christians and most churches choose to leave them out altogether. Well, to quote an age-old axiom: “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!” After all, God, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), is a spirit. He will contact, connect, and interact with us from His perspective, and, as stated, He is spiritual. It is imperative that we rightly and humbly permit Him to reach out to us as individuals and as assembled congregations in any manner He chooses.

Be Alert and Aware

Paul is direct in tone saying, “Do not quench the Spirit.” God is heavily involved with His people, therefore spiritual phenomena and experiences should not surprise us. Keep your heart open to the eternal while you are living in this temporary sphere. The Holy Spirit captures our attention with a creative and exhaustive array of messages.

A passage of Scripture stands out to us.
A strong conviction of heart for change is experienced.
A convincing impression comes upon the mind or emotions.
A person says something to us that is, perhaps surprisingly, meaningful.
A desire within our soul arises that is consistent with the character of Christ.
A dream or a vision is shared with us.
A message from an angel is conveyed.
A supernatural gift of a word of knowledge or wisdom is given.
A supernatural gift of faith or prophecy is bestowed.
ETC. (Remember Balaam’s donkey: never limit God’s imagination. He will get through to you!)

God will likely employ multiple channels to communicate with us, each one confirming the other. This leads us to the second directive.

Use Careful Discernment

Paul and John admonish us: “test everything,” and “test the spirits.” Not everything imprinted with God’s brand originated in His consciousness. No one pays full price for “knock-off” clothing or memorabilia, because just “getting close” has little value, we demand the real article. Therefore, we examine and evaluate every item deliberately and meticulously to determine if what we are offered is genuine. In the same way, it is also possible to preserve spiritual receptivity without discarding critical thinking.

“Test everything…test the spirits.”

Ask the consequential questions:
Does it align with Scripture?
You must know the Bible for true clarity.
Does it sound like Jesus?
His sheep know His voice.
Does it produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit?
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Does it inspire Godly posture?
Courage, obedience, holiness, unity and faith.
Does it fuel selfish outcomes?
Ambition, control, resentment, division.

Discernment helps us to listen and understand accurately and well to

“Hold on to what is good.”

This is our prime motivation. We sincerely desire anything and everything that God intends for us, but we understand that ego and fear can be wrapped up in Bible-like vocabulary. We probe, we inquire, we question, not from skepticism, but from our longing to know our Lord totally and follow Him truly.

Our ardent aspiration for the authentic message will protect us from the idea that we can maneuver God’s Holy Word in formulated schemes forcing God’s intervention in any given situation. Testing guards against the notion that we can ply sacred levers and push divine buttons to assure the outcomes we seek. And to be worthy appraisers, we must know more than verses, hymns, and adages. We must be in harmony with the heart of our Father.

Stay open to the possibilities of God.

Test everything He may send your way.

Hold on for dear life to every good thing that emerges.

A Personal Prayer

Father, forgive me for confusing my desires, fears, assumptions, and ego with Your voice.
Help me to know You more perfectly and recognize You more clearly.
Wherever You lead, give me the courage to follow.
Whenever I am wrong, bless me with the humility to admit my fault and receive Your grace.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen