HEARING FROM GOD: THE PROBLEM, WHAT “GOD” SAID
One morning, we were sitting on our bed in our university hostel, having a sweet moment of conversation with God when our roommate, a ‘sister in the Lord’ came calling for our attention with an air of urgency. It was that kind of leave-everything-you-are-doing-and-listen-to-us-now call.
She clearly saw us praying but she kept saying, “God says we should tell you something”. So, when we opened our eyes and looked at Sister in the Lord, she said, “God says you are deviating from the truth!”
Now this is one of most ironical things we have ever heard in our entire life. That morning, we were having a deep sweet moment of prayer, drawing closer to Jesus. But according to Sister in the Lord, “God” told her we were deviating from the truth.
We thought about it and concluded that Sister probably had grudges against us or things that made her feel we wasn’t worthy to pray. So that could have made her come to us with that message to say we wasn’t on the right track with God.
And we also saw her statement as one inspired by the devil to make us feel low at a spiritually high moment in our life. Well we eventually told Sister in the Lord never to tell us anything God tells her to tell us. That was how we ended a starting chain of “what God said”.
That’s not the first time we have heard someone say something which is supposedly a direct quote from heaven and that thing is very disturbing or confusing.
As a young Christian, we were taught that God speaks to us. God speaks to our innermost beings. We were even taught ways to discern the voice of God. One important lesson we learned in all these was that anything God tells you must be in accordance with His word. And God never lies.
So many times, believers have gone to believers with messages supposedly sent by God and these messages end up ruining the life of the receiver.
Or how do you explain that “God” tells a sister to tell a man that the woman he is married to is not his right wife? This eventually leads the man to divorce his ‘spiritually unfit’ wife and get hooked unto another sister in church. The same God who says, “we hate divorce”. The same God who urges men to love their wives unconditionally like Christ loved the church!
Or how do you explain when “God” asks a sister to pay a huge some of money as a “seed” for her healing? The same Jesus who walked this earth healing people freely?
Or how do you explain that “God” says the baby in your womb is a boy and you eventually birth a girl? Is God now confused? Is now God saying the opposite of what He means?
Or how do you explain that “God” tells you to sow a “sacrificial offering” and the amount “God” is asking for is a huge sum of money you can not afford?
This is the problem with what “God” said. Fanatics hiding behind “what God said” use this to say anything they want to say, claiming it’s from God. If it is not in sync with scripture, it is definitely not from God!
Also, “God said” is one of the greatest forms of control some manipulative people now use to control others. They come to you with an authoritative “God says…” and they expect you to bow to that.
This is wrong. We can’t. We won’t. We refuse to be manipulated by someone claiming to be closer to the heartbeat of God than we are.
When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn into two. That was the veil that separated the inner sanctuary from the outer temple. Only the priests could enter the inner sanctuary before Jesus died. But when he died, that veil was torn because we all now have access to God. We can be intimate with God as we want. We can be close to God as much as we want. We do not have to depend on any man or woman to bring us direct quotes of God. We no longer have to depend on the priests like the people of old did because according to scripture, every child of God is a king and a priest!
“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)
Also, direct quotes from God are not the basis of Christianity. Christianity is mainly about love. The Bible has all there is to know and all we need to practice. So somebody constantly saying “God said you should…” or “God said you should not…” should not be a huge part of your faith.
Yes, God speaks to His children. Yes, the Holy Spirit directs us. We have stories of how God spoke to us and directed us. Also God leads people to others. But please let’s not abuse it. Let’s not be quick to translate our personal wants into a word from heaven. It is wrong.
Being intimate with God is ultimate. Study your Bible and know it for yourself. Spend some time everyday praying. Prayer is not that hard. Talk to God as you would with a friend. Thank Him, praise Him, tell Him about EVERYTHING in your life and how you would like Him to help you.
Some resources to help you know God more:
- Proverbs 31 Ministries
- Pastor Rick Devotional
Let’s talk. What do you you think about hearing from God? Do you hear from God? What is your experience with hearing from God?
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.
