For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1.7).
How we view and talk about God’s dealings with us from day to day can have a considerable effect upon our openness to his guidance in the great decisions of life. Many Christians have picked up a manner of thinking and speaking known as pietistic speech, which is very damaging to the perception of genuine guidance. These friends constantly ascribe all kinds of everyday events to the special and direct intervention of the Lord, as though their lives were filled with minor miracles. They believe this way of speaking is ‘spiritual’, and just what the Lord wants to see in his people. However, it frequently leads to a form of spiritual ‘superstition’ in which Christians interpret their perceived interventions by God as signals of guidance.
We acknowledge that the Lord does intervene in the lives of his people, and there are many times when our circumstances are overruled in an unmistakable way, so that we cannot fail to recognise the hand of the Lord. But this is quite different from reading guidance into a chain of minor coincidences and ‘deliverances’. Some believers,
intoxicated by the idea that God constantly works direct miracles in their lives, begin to think of themselves as super-Christians who sense the mind of the Lord. Their imagination becomes their king as they ‘feel led’ to do one thing or another, or say, ‘The Lord told me this morning . . . ’ or, ‘The Lord wants me to tell you . . . ’
All this obstructs genuine divine guidance, which requires a spiritual outlook coupled with sober, rational judgement, sanctified by humility. Because the habit of pietistic thinking and speaking can upset the perspectives of believers and fog the thoughtful seeking of guidance, we must briefly review its dangers.
It is worth noting that when Christians adopt the habit of pietistic thinking and speaking, they mainly focus on very little things, or entirely personal events, not great matters. Furthermore, these are usually earthly rather than spiritual matters, and most significantly, the Lord usually gives them good events, not hard or painful ones. We have heard people say, ‘The Lord sent a bus for me this morning.’ In circumstances of great need and in answer to prayer the Lord may intervene very kindly to help his people, but he is also training us to endure hardship by his wonderful grace. Many years ago the writer was told by an earnest Christian lady who had been making jam, ‘The Lord was marvellous to me this morning! He prevented the am from boiling over while I was out.’ On another occasion someone said, ‘The sun has shone today, just when I sent my coat to the cleaners. What a wonderful thing! It must have been the Lord who commanded the sun to shine for me today.’
We repeat that God certainly does overrule and intervene in the lives of his people, through prayer, helping us in many ways, and frequently we realise that we have accomplished things we could never have done by our own ability or strength. What believer has not had the experience of remembering some vital responsibility just at the critical moment? We were certain that the Lord had done it, and we gave him thanks and glory. But we should not forget that all that happens to us is according to his will and permission, whether large or small, good or unpleasant.
. . . to be continued