I have learned that just because you’re doing something for God, that doesn’t mean that God called you to do it. And there is a difference. I’ve spent thousands upon thousands of dollars, hours upon hours laboring in vain for something that was for God, but it wasn’t something God called me to do. I’m talking about finding your place. Don’t take somebody else’s place. Even in our churches, we shouldn’t try to copy what somebody else is doing.
I say this as kindly as I can, and I don’t say it to attack anyone in the body of Christ in any way. I say it to protect the flock and the ministers. What we have today, it seems to be, and I’m human and I could miss it, but it seems to be that we have people following people. And we have people following organizations instead of following the Holy Ghost and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s the truth. We want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. We don’t want to follow methods of men. Again I say this with all love and kindness (1 Corinthians 13). If you look across the body of Christ, most churches are copycats of somebody else. This one is copying that one, this one is finding out what that one has done. And they are implementing what some other church or organization or business is doing. They are doing this and they are doing that and they have “.tv” at the end of their name. They are doing this and they have 18 minutes to do that, 6 minutes for that, raise your hand here, don’t do that there, 5 minutes for that, and on and on.
What happens? You’re following man and not following the Holy Ghost. Now if the Holy Ghost says to do it, then do it! But when we don’t follow the Holy Ghost, we start following men and organizations. And just because God told them to do that, that doesn’t mean He told you to do it. Or what’s even worse, He didn’t tell them to do it either. And God will only occupy what He designs. He can only anoint His plans and give full provision to His plans. Because if He anoints and gives full provision to man’s plans, that means He approves of it. And that’s not always the case. Now of course God will bless things as far as He can. But He can only do it to a point.
Problems come when you start implementing your own plans and laboring after your own ideas and you can end up killing yourself. It’s true. It’s happened. It’s happening still today.
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. – Psalm 127:1
If God tells you to do something that someone else is doing though, you do it. Just make sure you’re following Him and not being a copycat of society. That’s what a lot of churches are today. They’re copying society. And again, I say this in love – not to attack, but to protect the flock. But many good, well-meaning Christians and churches are copying society. You can’t do that. Because the culture of society wants the church to shut its mouth. They’re telling us that we have to be politically correct even in the church. But we have to be Godly, Biblically correct, instead of politically correct in the church. We must say “Thus sayeth the Lord” and speak the truth in love because that is the only thing that is going to help our fallen society.
I encourage you, follow the Word of God, follow Psalm 127. Make it a keynote verse for your life. Follow after the Holy Ghost and His plans for your life, your church, and your ministry. God is with us!
