Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

"Be eager to serve, not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples."¹

Some time ago at a church where I was a deacon we had one man in particular who claimed to have several spiritual gifts. When the deacon board was seeking an answer for a significant situation, our friend informed us that he had a word from God and said, "God told me it was to be such and such."

End of discussion! Who can argue against God?

However, my reply was, "God hasn't told me yet so can we discuss this matter further."

I'm not saying that God doesn't lead and guide people. Not at all. What I am saying is that sometimes some insecure people need to feel important and hide behind "God's skirt" as it were. Others claim to have a word from God simply as a means of controlling others and getting their own way; that is, as Jo Baily put it, they are adept at "arm-twisting for God."

Actually the Bible says, "Don't believe every spirit, but test them to see whether they are from God."² A wise path to follow.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the ability to be able to discern whether a word or Spirit/spirit is from you or not, and grant that I will never misuse your name or "arm twist for you" to get my own way. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 Peter 5:3 (NIV).
2. 1 John 4:1.

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