“Aaagh, that’s not what I said!” have you been in that place as well? What about when people make negative assumptions about you, and they don’t even know you or have a relationship with you.
“Your prophets have
said so many foolish things, false to the core. They did not save you from
exile by pointing out your sins. Instead, they painted false pictures, filling
you with false hope. Lamentations 2:14
As I listen to this passage on my audio bible,
I become very aware of how frustrating that must be. Time and time again throughout Jeremiah and Lamentations, God
is warning Judah and Israel of what is to come, calling them to repent, or do as
he says, and someone from some other place is speaking to the king or the
influencers in the community declaring, “God said…” and it was the opposite of what God was communicating. I visualize God with
His mouth open screaming, “I didn’t say that!!”
Tired of you tellin' the story your way
It's causin' confusion
You think it's okay…
Make Me Wanna Scream.
Michael Jackson - Scream
I took a moment to look
inward and I urge you to do the same; Have you ever put words together or prepared messages
or themes or spoken to individuals quoting God, but that was not what He wanted
to say?
Camp season has begun.
Some of you like me will be speaking at camps. Are you speaking what God wants
you to speak? Maybe you are camp
chaplain, or the camp director and will be leading devotions for the
counselors. Are you speaking what God wants you to speak? There will be junior
counselors and senior counselors made up of volunteers, students and camp
interns who will have opportunity to speak to campers one on one or in their
cabins. Are they speaking what God wants them to say?
You can only speak what He
is saying, if you have a relationship with Him and you take time to hear what
He is saying. God told Jeremiah exactly what to say, and then he spoke it.
I had already
written most of today’s blog earlier, but once I got down on my knees and asked
for clarity, Holy Spirit shared with me what He actually wanted said and it
was different from what I originally had. As I listened, I gently heard Him
speak to my heart saying, “They are
telling students what I have to say when they have no relationship with me.”
I Didn't Say That.
Youth worker. Is this you?
Have you been caught up in the duties of life but have not personally heard
from God for yourself in a long time? STOP! Stop speaking. START. Start
listening. Holy Spirit cares about you. He’s got your youth, He’ll take care of
your family, He wants you! You’ve been so far away from Him and you know it in
your heart. You’ve got this whole itinerary this summer that you set up.
He wants you to stop going, slow down and sit for a while. God cares about you
too much to lose you. He can help you get back on track, but it starts with
Him. Please it’s time for self-care. As a fellow youth worker, we all are a
team. And when one is down and out of the game we feel it. I watched Costa Rica
and Greece play in the world cup. One player on Costa Rica received a red card
and was out of the game. These teams went into overtime and Costa Rica was
exhausted. The goalie was hurt in so many places, yet they couldn’t sub him out
because they used all of their substitutes. I felt for them. Look if you need
to sit on the bench for a while to rest up so you’ve got legs again, then
please do it because we want to keep you in the game! When you get a red card,
the team is down a person, but when you have a sub, someone else comes out in
your place. Do you need a break? God
will provide a substitution for you. I know you can’t see who it will be, but
someone will come. Take a break and spend time with Him.
If you are working with a
team this summer, and you see that a student or counselor doesn’t have a
relationship with God, please pastor them and have them take a time out for
self-care which starts with God. Be watching for them so that there are no young
counselors or parents that are creating confusion speaking a message that is
contrary to the one God is giving.
Stop talking. Start
Listening. Let Him speak to you. Allow time to resurrect your relationship with
Him. Students need to hear what God is saying to them. As ministers of His
word, we need to be clear so that our hearers can walk in clarity.
I’m praying for you. To
whom this concerns.
Youth Speaker & Founder of the
Young Woman of Power (YWOP), Alison hosts conferences and develops programs
that are designed to build the confidence of youth such as the YWOP PivotFWD
workshop which she delivers in Calgary’s Youth Judicial System and the citywide
Young Women of Power Conference. She considers herself to be a pastor to those
who don’t want one or don’t know they need one. For more info or to book Alison
as a speaker visit www.ywop.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment