Let me share a story. A few years ago I had a group of friends and we used to do everything together. I started noticing a different type of behavior and there was this one person in the group that was very dominant and it seemed like everyone went in the direction she wanted for everything. I didn’t think anything about it. I thought well that’s just her personality. And then Gossip started with talking about people. I still didn’t say anything. I would standby and not speak up. Finally It got to me and I realized I was just as guilty. I slowly started drifting and then a situation happen where I was forced to take a stand to speak up because my integrity did not line up with the atmosphere that was being created. A few stayed quiet and one stood up and turned on me and the group of friendships fell apart because I noticed a change and I felt in my spirit that I no longer needed that negative energy. She tried to get me to come back around and manipulate my words but I had already felt God saying walk away. When I pulled away it was my decision and felt I had heard from God.
Because of that, my purpose came back to life of doing what I was passionate about, serving people. I see the friends from time to time, but we no longer are in that season. It devestated me to walk away but I felt there was a change about to happen and God later revealed it to me and that’s when I opened my thrift shop and held monthly events feeding my community through my helping hands food pantry. Now I don’t have any hard feelings with any of these women. They are godly women.
The lesson that I learned was I had to hear what God was saying versus the opinions of what people were saying. If I had of stayed in the same circle I would’ve never branched out to start my own business in my own building helping my hometown community. I know that for a fact.
Never let anyone question your decisions when you know you heard from God or while your waiting to hear from God. Different perspective yes, but never let anyone sway you from your choices you make as you are trying to decide a decision. Maturity is when you have discernment to know if it’s God using this person to speak into you or if it’s for their own gratification. And when this happens with me I choose to pray fast and worship until I get my answer.
Yes iron sharpens iron, but when someone (Especially those you care about) think they know what’s best from their perspective, you have to ask that person , are you doubting what GOD spoke and is speaking to me with your own opinion or wisdom?
Everyone is not right all the time! Every prophet that speaks is not always accurate, every minister that speaks is not accurate all the time, every human being that speaks is not accurate all the time.
Please don’t take this wrong. I love all people, even the ones who curse me and have hurt me, I have learned to love as Christ loved but from a distance.
And I also have learned through my experiences over the years to have discernment. I used to not know what that was! I would just fly off the handle and say whatever was on my mind. I remember I used to look at people and think they were the answer if I went to them for prayer & they would have an answer for me.
I didn’t realize that God is my ultimate covering and I can have a personal relationship with him myself. There are things that God and I discuss that I know will go to my grave with me and then there are things where God shows me who to open up to and seek guidance from when I need another person‘s perspective.
If you are going through something or if you are having to make a decision this year whether it’s personal business ministry etc. go to God first. Ask God to cover your ears from those that you don’t need to hear from and to open your ears from those that have words of wisdom to say. Ask God to help you think outside the box of your own opinion and anyone else’s but to choose wisely counsel when needed. I hope this article helps someone.
