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So often we as
a society equate numbers with success.
The larger the conference, the more successful we deem it.
The larger a church, the more we believe that God is blessing.
And so on.
I recall
planning a conference one time. Registrations were not where I
felt they needed to be a few weeks before the date of the event.
It wasn't long before I began to get "under the pile" about the
level of attendance.
My friend, who
was organizing this conference with me, called and asked how I
was doing. I had to confess where I was. He immediately reminded
me of my own teaching in this area.
We are all called to be led by the Spirit, not by outcomes.
"If God called us to put on this conference, then the outcome is
up to Him if we have done our part." He went on to explain
how he learned this lesson in a similar way a few years earlier.
He and a friend were led to host a Bible study group.
His friend was to speak. It was nine o'clock and they were the
only two people there. His friend was discouraged and was ready
to leave.
"No," said my friend. "We have done what the Holy
Spirit directed." He then stood up and began to welcome
people as though there were many in the room.
(No one was in the room.)
He introduced his friend and they began the meeting. A few
minutes later, people began to straggle in. By the time the
meeting was over, ten had shown up, and one man in particular
was impacted by the meeting.
Being led by the Spirit often means we must not use the world's
standard for success as our measuring stick. You never know what
an act of obedience will yield at the time. We must leave
results to God. Our role is to obey. His role is to bring
results from our obedience.
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Do you make
decisions based on the potential outcome or by the direction
of the Holy Spirit in your life?
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Do you
overly evaluate the pros and cons without consideration to
what the Holy Spirit might be saying deep inside?
We are all
prone to make decisions based on reasoning alone. Ask God to
give you a willingness and ability to hear the Holy Spirit and
to obey His promptings.
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