Stepping outside our routines and suits by…
LISTENING, HEARING AND OBEYING GOD, ON TIME
There are times when the way we ‘normally’ do things or the way society would ‘normally’ have us do things, are simply not appropriate for the situation you are in, or the people you are trying to help out. In order to be truly effective, we need to be willing to be flexible for God.
When we listen to what God speaks and hear what He is saying, obedience is key. Doing what God says may take us out of our comfort zones, our suits, our routines, our ‘norm’, but does that really matter? God, I’ve found, often does not work within the realms of ‘normal’ at all. I think this is true simply because we do not all fit in one uniform box ourselves let alone God!
As a people, it’s like we try to keep God within defined lines and restrict Him to the ‘norms’ of our personal version of Christianity. Many of these “norms” are not even rooted in God. Our boxes are just wash seems good and comfortable to us.
I’ve been thinking about a conversation I had a while back with a Pastor. He insisted that wearing a suit was the only way to go while leading service at church. So I put it to him, “What if a Pastor that morning had prayed to God for direction. What if God told the Pastor to wear his casual clothes or scruffs that day?” Moreover, “What if God said that today, a vagrant would come to church and the only way he will “hear Me” through you is if you are at his level? What if by removing your suit it would help a lost soul come into the kingdom of heaven forever?”
If the Pastor dresses down that day would it be the right thing to do,? Yes, by listening, hearing and obeying the pastor would meet the need of an unsaved person where they are at. What if the people of the congregation start whispering and gossiping about it? It does not matter. When the service gets underway and lo and behold the vagrant comes in at the back and takes a seat the pastor knows God has spoken! The Pastor praises God in his heart because this is the man that church service is for. this example shows that God can use anything, anyone, anytime, anyhow, anywhere for His purposes. Even the attire you wear!
Let’s examine how God can use all these things in the scruffy Pastor scenario.
Anything….Pain the person is suffering, to draw the person
Anytime…..the church service
Anywhere…the church
Anyhow…..wearing scruffy clothes to help demolish walls and barriers regarding persons self image
Anyone…..Pastor who is tuned in with God and listens to what he should be doing that day for God’s Good and Purposes.
There is nothing wrong with wearing a suit, but there is everything wrong in insisting that a suit must be worn to show your honor and respect to God. How well dressed you are is not a sign that someone honors God. Honoring God comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and materials.
God is no respecter of persons. I look for God in a person regardless of what they wear. Personally, I am more concerned about the ‘heart’ of someone who is doing ministry than their outward appearance. You can be booted and suited and yet your heart be wrong with your ministry.
As ministry is dealing in the business of someone’s personal relationship with God, temporal things like what kind of clothes they wear fade into insignificance.
If a vagrant speaks the Word of God to me, in a Rhema kind of way and someone in a religious suit condemns me with their mouth, which is better and which is going to help? The heart priority of the vagrant speaks louder!
You shall know them by their fruits not their suits!
Jesus lowered Himself to be heavenly good for earth and all of mankind. He became and went to all, those rejects of society/church/work/descended before He ascended as to fill the whole universe.
So the lesson is, to be the Ambassadors for Christ we are to be, we need to not be so much a conformist to our societies or churches, but to be conformists to God alone.
If God wants you to hug someone, you do that.
If God wants you to wear scruffy clothes, you do that.
If God wants you to give someone a holy kiss, you do that.
If God wants you to get into your car and drive and only
turn when He directs you to by His Spirit, you do that.
If God wants you to buy a stranger a coffee, you do that.
If God wants you to sit at a table with someone who is on their own, rather than sitting on another table on your own, then you do that…and the list goes on.
You never know when you are going to be the hand of God to someone, and you may not always know when you have been!!
Learn and practice how to be spirit led children of God, and only show your obedience to what God would have you do at any given time, rather than the norms of your ‘societies’ you are in. The bottom line is; you are citizens of heaven and God is your King and leader!
If you insist on only wearing your suits because that is the only way to be acceptable, then you are never going to get down on the floor and help the people who are eating the scraps.
He is your beloved and you are His, and He wants you at His banqueting table!
Final word and message:
Colossians 3:12
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”
This shows and witnesses honor of God to those around you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2r97Fo_HWE