IN THE HANDS

It is really hard at times to trust in what other people say. And if by chance they tell you too many things that aren't true then any sense of trust normally dies rather quickly.

What amazes me is the people I deal with who have a record for being wrong and still keep telling you things that are wrong and expect you to believe them. It is utterly amazing what races through their minds that might in some way make that seem logical.

Suppose you do find yourself in a position that have to trust in the hands of somebody whose behavior is less than impressive? It does become a very taxing on one's senses. Still there are times when we have no choice.

All of this backdrop to me on what can often pollute our brain during the times we have to trust to a spiritual leader. They may speak for god, but we know they are also human and can make mistakes.

Yet, despite this fact we do appreciate the truth that in the spiritual realm where reality is something other than necessarily logical, it means trust goes beyond reason. Not in every case, but in some.

Finding the path that is balance and obedient to the lord in such situations is difficult. For not everyone who wears the title Reverend or Pastor is necessary a true messenger of the Lord. And it can be difficult to assess when such leaders are anointed and when they are not.

What complicates it is that the leader may be called of the Lord, but we might not always agree with their opinion. It doesn't mean they are wrong. Nor does it mean they are right.

In my own experience the barrier for me in terms of being involved with a given leader has been how they handled the truth of God's word. I've seen those that were incredibly gifted as preachers, but in no way taught salvation by faith or the importance of grace.

I've been involved with ministries where the leader was less than perfect and it didn't concern me because they really did try to share the truth in terms of salvation. I have also been involved with ministries where the leader might have been far more flawless, yet the individual honestly had no concern over truth at all. The person only concerned himself with preaching what was popular. They grew large churches by saying what people wanted to hear, but it didn't mean God had anything to do with what was happening.

Sadly a lot of people have a criteria for following a leader that isn't based on truth. It is dependent upon some other motivations.

However, I feel God holds us accountable ultimately for whether our faithfulness is to his truth and not how well the leader taught his version of what is true.