Don't Shoot the Messenger

Truly, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me,

and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.

John 13:30 NLT

Have you ever had bad news delivered, and your first inclination was to shoot the messenger? It would be hard to count the times the Holy Spirit has stepped on my toes, yet my frustration was aimed at the bearer of the news.  

God gets His messages across to us in a variety of ways, but He generally uses other people. It might be the pastor, evangelist, friend, or even a stranger. God can and will speak to us in whatever way He chooses, and guess what? There are no perfect vessels. Fortunately for us, imperfection doesn't bother God. He works through whoever is willing and available, and He does the best He can with what He has—us.

When we set our expectations of other people too high and require the messengers to adhere to our standards, we can completely miss what God is trying to say to us. The truth is, it’s not the messenger that’s important, but the message.  Balaam was so hardheaded and spiritually blind, the Lord had to speak through a donkey to get His point across. I don’t know about you, but something like that would certainly get my attention, and fast.

If we expect every person that delivers the Word of God to be perfect, walking in the fullness of everything they are teaching, praying, or simply sharing with us, we hinder our own ability to hear God’s voice and receive the revelation, instruction, and encouragement He is trying to convey.  Too many times we judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions.

Be careful not to limit God in your life.  Don’t put parameters on Him, and don’t judge, critique, and criticize those He chooses to work through to speak into your life.  Remember, God might send you to someone to deliver a message for Him, and you certainly don’t want them to shoot the messenger.

Just a thought . . .