Sometimes it is about saying “No”.
Another lesson we may have to learn…is that it is OK to say “No”.
For me this was a struggle, mostly in one area of my life. But God has His beautiful and creative ways to point out that He sees more and is guiding us to recognize what He sees.
This happened to me recently! When I left on my journey God has said that He would bring people to me. ( this was inresponce to thoughts I was having about being a person that would stand up and preach on the streets. I admire the braveness and boldness of those people! But , and I say thankfully, that was not God’s plan for me.)
Immediately, the next day God brought someone in my path ( instant confirmation!
I wasn’t asking for confirmation, not at all…but God is gracious and loving, He knows us and what we need!) Ever since that day, there was going to be no way I would ever say “No” to someone that was put in my path!
……Well…..then there comes a time for a new lesson…..
When you have decided to not only accept Christ but then “go all in”. To build a relationship with God that is based on trust, obedience, faith, and love….we can’t ignore that He also gives us discernment. And this is what I needed to learn.
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
1 Kings 3:9 NIV
God has granted a discerning heart, but I also needed wisdom to know when to proceed and when to retreat.
The Spirit…..
The Holy Spirit is placed within us when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38 NIV
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV
The Holy Spirit guides us….
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
Galatians 5:17 NIV
My desire to help others HAS to be lead by the Spirit…but I had to listen carefully to the Spirit and not my own desire to “never never say No”.
I definitely did not listen! Every indication was there, as I was approached one night.
I was sitting in the Square using the wifi. A man approached me. Instantly I felt this awkward resistance bordering on fear, and extreme sense of “uncomfortable”. But I ignored this and accepted his offer to bring me a coffee. He did so then sat down and we talked. Because of the feeling I was experiencing I immediately started to pray, something I always do when I meet people. I ask God to please supply me with the words to connect and assist whomever I am with. Even after praying that “feeling ” of uneasyness would not leave me. But I pushed through and listened to this man.
Later that night I could not sleep, partially, maybe because of drinking coffee so late, but mostly because my spirit was not letting me. I just could not figure out what I was to do about this man. Finally I slept, a little, and the next morning I resumed praying. It was now Sunday, the day I devote to being with God , later I go to Church online and then open the Zoom group for worship and connecting with one another.
During my time with God I was lead to write the things I had learned about this man and developed what I thought was a plan to proceed. I felt confident that when I met him on Monday I had a plan! The rest of Sunday was good.
Monday came and I woke refreshed, confident. In my head had I had played out how I thought the conversation would go, but as I worked through my chores I prayed to God that he would supply me the words and the order in which to work through my listed out plan of talking points as per His will, I felt God telling me to be bold!
We met……
We met, this man and I. The very first momemt was a struggle. I wanted to go to the Bakery to connect to the internet to do what I had planned ( to download Netflix shows) and while that did its thing we would talk. The man was not having that at all and we ended up sitting at a table in the square. From that first altercation I felt a set back, loss of control and that everything was not right. I prayed silently and continued on. The whole interaction, although I made it through my talking points was just a struggle for me, not comfortable or feeling right in someway, but I made it completley through my list. And..
Well everything went sideways!!! He was upset, most likely furious! I will not go into more detail, they do not assist in the point of my lesson learned.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4 NIV
After we parted ways I was devastated! How could that have gone so wrong to the point that I had hurt someone’s feeling ( acording to the man). I would never intend to do so! My own head was now a mess, racing, trying to replay over and over everything starting from the moment he approached me. From here, I needed help! So I reached out to my sisters. First I talked with one, then a second. Between the two I was finally able to quit beating myself up and ultimately clear my head of it all. In doing that I could finally enter back into prayer and really listen.
What I heard…..
The message I was getting was coming in flashes of past times when I felt those same emotions, warnings. Do not proceed!
I was so wrapped up in making sure that I did not reject helping someone that came to me in fear of disappointing God, that I had not considered that this was just a door left open for Satan to use the situation to persuade me to do something that could have turned out worse…..I could have been injured or left in another controlling situation. Because that man…he was trying to control me. When he approached me on Sunday he knew I was there because he had others spying for him. When we had our conversation on Monday and I laid out how our interactions would be conducted, he became angry and non accepting. He wanted me in ways that were not acceptable to me! When I would not submit to his ways, he became threatening. All that…..has been the cycle I have been working to break free from, and with God, His patience with me……the lesson was sinking in loud and clear! There are times to say NO! I must trust in the spirit as it made feel uncomfortable, it was the warning to not proceed. To walk away, pray and leave it to God.
And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
Mark 6:11 NIV
Colleen Moore
Works Inspired in Faith
Recent Comments