Pastor’s Corner | Learn His ways

— Not long ago I experienced something that set me back kind of hard and during that time I learned that even after being acquainted with me for my entire 33 years as a Christian some people really don’t know me at all. They really have no idea of who I am, how I think or react to situations.

This really bothered me for quite some time as I had assumed after so long of a time they would have come to know my different than other people’s ways of speaking, doing things and of responding to situations, and the more I thought, the more puzzled I was as to why they didn’t. I finally decided it didn’t really matter and set aside the hurt and confusion, purposing to not let that divert me from doing what needed to be done and days later as I began to think aboutrelationships again, I began to see a bit about how and why length of time doesn’t necessarily teach someone about the ways and character of someone.

It’s possible even after a lifetime of being in a relationship with someone, to not really know anything about them because we have a tendency to process everything through our own thoughts, feelings and perceptions about the person or situation involving that person. In doing this, we “hear” what we feel, not what they may be saying or trying to say.

This can be a hindrance to a Christian because it keeps us from hearing what the Spirit of God would speak to us to help bring peace and healing to a situation, person or group of people the Lord wants to use us to minister to. What really disturbed me was when I realized we often do the same with God.

In Exodus 6:7 God says: “I will take you to me for a people and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God,” essentially saying, “I’m going to teach you to be my people so that I can be God to you!” We read that God revealed and manifested himself to his people over and over again, sending angels, speaking to them audibly and fulfilling every promise yet after 40 years of miracles, signs and wonders, God said of his people in Psalms 95:10:“Forty years long was I grieved with this generation and said, It is a people that do err in their heart and they have not known my ways.”

Is it possible for us topray, fast and do righteous things and still not reach the place where we begin to understand His ways?

Yes, very much so.

The 70 elders of Israel ate and drank in God’s presence on the mount, yet the Lord said of them: “You never got to know me or my ways!”

The disciples spent three years in God’s presence with Christ. They sat under his teaching, were with him night and day, yet they forsook him and fled because they did not know His ways and as long as we continue to relate to and interact with people based on our perceptions and feelings, we don’t understand God’s ways as we ought. Why? We are attempting to understand spiritual things carnally.

Romans 8:5-7 tells us: “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

Is it possible for us to change, to learn and understand God’s ways?

Most emphatically yes!

But it will take some effort on our part to do so.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

As I’ve said before, Jesus paid the price, won the victory and makes it freely available to all who will accept it. So, the question is no longer can we, but will we? It depends.

How much do you want to understand His ways?

How much do you want to change?

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Editor’s note: Charlie Newman is pastor of Avoca Christian Church. To contact him, write in care of The Times at prtnews@ nwaonline.com or P.O. Box 25, Pea Ridge, AR 72751.

Church, Pages 2 on 01/05/2011