Are we being led by the Spirit in our day-to-day interactions as Paul & Co. were?Awesome discussion last night! Let's continue that conversation here...
Have we experienced times where doors seemed to close, yet God was creating a different way for us all the while? What has been our reaction and what should our reaction be?
As we have talked about in past discussions, our reaction to circumstance is often more important than the circumstance itself. Taking the example of Paul and Silas in prison, after wrongful arrest and beating, what is our reaction when bad things happen to good people? Are we able to keep proper perspective? Are we able to pray and sing in the midst of persecution.
What other questions does this raise for you?
Monday, September 17, 2007
Acts 16
Last night we looked at Acts 16 which begins the second missionary of Paul & Co. Give it a read...good stuff. Here are the discussion points that we talked about last night:
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6 comments:
Ok I have a comment. I didn't have a chance to get it in Sunday because there was so much discussion (which was great!) I just let it go and go! My comment had to do with my reaction to when bad things happen to good people. I tend to be much more simple minded than alot of people in that room and my simple thought was this. As I watched my dear friend, a good person die last year and as I watch my dear friend, a good person,lie in a coma and struggle to wake up presently, what I see is all of the wonderful friends and family God has brought together to not only help her, but help each other though these tough times. Because it's not just tough on the person going through it, it's hard on everyone who loves them. As Ryan said, we're not here to be alone.
Cathy Z.
my thoughts were more about the redirection God sometimes gives. We talked so much about how Paul and his guys followed the Spirit and after they were finally led where they were supposed to go, they said, "oh, now i get it, we're here for THIS..." but the "this" was only to be beaten and thrown in jail. had they known what they were in for, would they have followed the spirit?
I sometimes wonder if we act as if we're on an awards-basis with God. Like, we'll follow God because we know the end is good. Define "good." So why did they follow the Spirit, really?
And why don't I always do it?
Sorry, more questions than answers....
Well, by nature, we are pain avoiding creatures, so there probably is something to the thought that we are reward driven. And there is a mentality (given creedence by some churches) that if pain or something not good happening, then it must not be God or God's leading.
The paradox I'm swimming in is that God's will is ultimately 'good.' Or another way to say it is to say that if God is the root of 'good' than God's leadings are, in fact, 'good.' But, the way that God chose to reconcile the world back to Himself sure didn't look all that 'good.' I bet most people there didn't see it as a 'good' thing. After all though, as we've seen thing play out in Acts and in our lives, that event in history turned out to be pretty 'good.'
So, the question for me becomes at what point do we see God's intentions (or leadings) as 'good' whether or not we experience either pleasure or pain? It seems that Bible writers on some level draw the distinction between seeking good and seeking pleasure. Right?
I think that it's a real sign of maturity when one can start to understand God's presence in a situation or leading in a certain situation apart from how it will make them 'feel' as it relates to pleasure or pain etc.
However, that is not to discount the roll of the 'gut' in issues of discernment...but that is a different topic altogether :)
I have been a lot of places where the doors have been closed...sometimes slammed shut, in fact. But, I heartily believe that when God gives us a no, he has a bigger yes in mind. Unfortunately, that hasn't always been my reaction. A recent situation was a door slammed shut. I thought..."This sucks." Only I was more emphatic about it. And, you know, I think that the reaction of yeah, this sucks, but there has to be a better door out there is a good way to think of it. Sadly, I don't have that reaction enough. But, still...God wants me to be honest with myself, and honest with him, so maybe how I reacted was okay. I don't know. Sometimes I am really confused. I was raised in a church where it was not okay to be angry...and how do I get rid of the lies??
I truly appreciate this blog. Every minute of every day is a learning experience for me, and I find the insights posted here very thought provoking. I'm a very simple thinker. When asked why bad things happen to good people - my reaction is that things happen to everyone all the time - some good some bad. In fact, "bad" is a very subjective term. What may be bad in one situation, is the best outcome in another. What happens when a door is closed? My gut reaction is to "Move on to the next door". This is probably a terrible thing to say, but I don't associate God with every situation. Even though I believe there is a tremendously complex plan orchestrated by God, I think a lot of things happen because I simply made a good decision or a bad decision. Doors open because I open them and close because sometimes they do. If I spend too much time trying to figure out why a door closes, I miss the next open door that comes around. Anyway, I can't wait to read more of your thoughts and insights.
Thanks,
Jim
I wish I associated God with more than I do.
I just don't tend to believe God..."I do believe...Help my unbelief!"
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