Has God ever called you to do something, either through word or prayer, but you’re hesitant to trust God.  This seems to be more common place in the era of small groups.  We seem to have lost our balance between being a lone ranger Christian and being spiritually codependent.  Whatever you call it, it is a real problem.  We claim to “walk with God”, “be lead by His Spirit”, “seek His will”, yet when God calls us to do something, we can often freeze up until we get validation from others, as if they have a hot line to God different from God’s word or Spirit that guide us.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately because of where God is taking me and the road He asked me to travel to get here.  Sometimes God calls us to do things that are unconventional, but often it is conventional wisdom that holds us back.  I think there will be a time in every believers life when God calls you to swim up stream, go against the flow, walk the narrow road and we need to be prepared to step out on our own.  He did this when He called Martin Luther to post his 95 Theses and Luther responded with the belief that he would be put to death; He did this when He called Dietrich Bonhoeffer to leave New York and go back to Nazi Germany to minister with the underground church, knowing he might face death and did; He did this when He called Martin-Lloyd Jones to give up his career as a doctor to become a preacher; He did this when He called Elizabeth Elliot to become a missionary to the people who murdered her husband, again facing the possibility of death.  These things may not make sense to other believers, may make them uncomfortable and they may even call you foolish.  You may place great value on what they think and you are worried that those people you value would shake their head at you in judgement.  If this is you, then I have good news for you.  You are in good company because the Apostle Paul shared this exact struggle in Galatians chapter 1:

¹⁴ and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. ¹⁵ But when God, who had set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, ¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away…”

As I have been praying about where the Lord is leading, the Lord awoke me this morning with Paul’s words.  Paul, called by God to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, did not consult with people to what God called him to do.  Imagine if Paul had been more conventional in his thinking.  “I should go find the other apostles to make sure they are cool with this and see what they want me to do.”  The apostles probably would have taken him under their wing, managed him and neglected the ministry to the Gentiles.  Even Peter, who knew that the gospel was for the whole world, was fearful to share the gospel with the gentiles (Galatians 2:11-13).

When we step out on our own, walk by faith and actually trust God, it can seem a little scary, especially when other believers question you, but we need not be afraid because we are not alone, the Holy Spirit lives in us.  Sometimes following the advice of others is sinful, because we may be ignoring the will of God to please man which is just going to make your life harder.  Paul gives us even more perspective to help us learn from his experience in Galatians 2:

Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. ² It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. ³ … ⁴ … ⁵ But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. ⁶ But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me.

The first thing we notice is that Paul felt the need to confirm that they were supportive of his ministry to the Gentiles, but he does so privately for fear they would disagree.  So 14 years later, led by the Holy Spirit (v.2), he goes to meet with Peter, James and John.  He closes by affirming that those of high reputation (Peter, James and John) added nothing to his ministry.  Please note that this was not said with a spirit of judgment, but to affirm that he was being led by the Holy Spirit the same as the other apostles were also being led.  This is really valuable to us because God the Holy Spirit lives in all believers for the purpose of directing our lives.  That is why He is called ‘our Helper’, ‘our Counselor’, and ‘our Comforter’.  He guides us throughout life to walk in a manner worthy of His calling.  Our job is to pray, read and listen so that we do not exchange the Peace of God for the peace of the world which is easy to do when we try to placate those who have no idea what God is doing in us.

God’s will is carried out even when we make it harder on ourselves.  Given a choice, I would rather have other  believers question me than God shaking His head at me!