When God always agrees with everything you are thinking you may be mistaken about which one of you is God….
Today’s culture, morality, and ethics are often driven by how people feel. I will often see this when trying to talk to someone about a sin issue in the Bible. I’ve had some totally ignore scripture and say “well, I don’t feel like I’m in sin”, “I feel like God is okay with it”, “I don’t think it’s a problem, that’s your opinion”, or “Me and God are fine, God wants me to be happy.”
It doesn’t even have to be that blatant. Sometimes we tell ourselves excuses that make sense to us and we are able to numb that nagging feeling in our heart. We justify why we didn’t do that thing that God kept bugging us about in every sermon or quiet time. We justify things by saying “yeah that was a little on the margin of being sin, but hey nobody’s perfect. God understands.” These things kind of make sense to us and because “hey it’s me… and I trust me” I will give myself the benefit of the doubt. Even though you and I both know I would never cut another person that much slack. We figure that because it makes sense to us, that God must agree because it makes perfect sense… to us. This is where we make our biggest mistake: thinking that God always agrees with us. It doesn’t matter what carefully crafted excuse or opinion we come up with… When we stand before God it’s only going to matter what God thinks about the situation. If we are going on our opinion rather than the Word of God we may find out that we were playing God rather than obeying God. When our opinion doesn’t line up with God’s then it doesn’t line up with reality. When we ignore or avoid God’s Word we are deceiving ourselves. After reality sets in we wonder why things turned out so bad… It turns out we were in sin. Look at what God said to Israel once about this:
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the Lord !’ Thus says the Lord God , Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord . They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord ,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the Lord ,’ although I have not spoken?” Therefore thus says the Lord God : “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God . My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God . Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’ Therefore thus says the Lord God : I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord . Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God. -Ezekiel 13:1-16 ESV
The Antidote to thinking God Always Agrees with Us
In order to get to the point of agreeing with God we need to address 3 different areas. First, we must address the heart. Second, we need to address our understanding and assumptions about life. The last thing we need to do is make sure our mind is in tune and on the same page with the Lord.
Our Heart
We need to recognize that our heart and its desires can be deceptive and rather than trusting in our hearts we need to trust our hearts to the Lord.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , whose trust is the Lord . He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” -Jeremiah 17:7-10 ESV
Our Understanding
Rather than relying on our own understanding we need to acknowledge that God’s way is best. Just because it makes sense to us doesn’t mean it’s right. We need to acknowledge that our understanding of the universe is limited and that’s God’s is infinite. When we disagree with an infinitely wise God… there is a really good chance that we are wrong. So we need to submit our ways to Him. Rather than assuming God always agrees with us we need to make sure we agree with God.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord , and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV
Our Mind
So how do I make sure that I’m being guided by the Lord and not just stuff I come up with in my head??? First, Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice…” (John 10:27 ESV). Have you ever talked with someone on the phone so much that when they call you don’t even have to look at the caller ID, you just know it’s them because you know their voice. That’s same as a we grow in Christ. The more time we spend in His Word hearing Him through the Bible we recognize what He sounds like. Second, We have to refresh our minds with God’s Word on a regular basis. Romans 12:2 says that in order not to fall into the pattern of this world (“conformed”) we have to “renew” and refresh our minds with God’s Word. So the key is to fill your heart and your mind with God’s Word. Then you can check your heart and mind by comparing it to God’s Word. Look what King David says about how God’s Word has kept him on the right path.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you. –Psalm 119:9-11 ESV
That’s the key. Knowing God by knowing His Word. Not trusting in ourselves but trusting in God. That’s the difference in believing imaginary voices and walking by faith. If you have been born again, you are walking with someone. That someone is the Lord and He is leading you. Check your heart and mind with His Words to make sure you are in step with the Master. “Not my will but thy will, Lord.”