This same issue of Ministry Today also had a column/article by R.T. Kendall about people that throw around the phrase: "God told me..." The author equates this charismatic habit to "taking the Lord's Name in vain." He points out that the motivation for saying, "God told me" is often to add weight to our words or beef up our reputation.
Ouch!
That shouldn't be so, huh? The author brings up a great question, which is basically: "If such and such thing is true, why do I have to bring God's Name into it? Wouldn't it be just as true if I leave His Name out?"
I like that. This would be like taking your art into the "marketplace of ideas" without bringing the label "Christian" along with it. It allows those with a supposed open mind to consider it (let's call them "guarded" open minds, which will shut faster than you can say "bigot" when they see the tag "Christian," to which you can't blame them too much for perceiving a "been there, done that, I'm saving time by filtering out stuff I've already formed an opinion on" kind of mentality, but I still think it's lame).
I love a word picture the author brings up about this principle of letting the words stand on their own (without the Name of the Lord being added). He brings up the fact that there is not a sign on the Grand Canyon. "It would cheapen the entire aura." That fabulous world wonder doesn't need a label to tell us that it's the Grand Canyon, does it? What a great analogy!
He also brings up another good metaphor. "No one likes a name dropper."
A few pages later, columnist/pastor Jack Hayford pens a column on the similar subject of prophecies. Dang, this was a good issue of Ministry Today (Sep/Oct '07). I wish I'd been quicker to blog about it.
P.S. Do you know what they used to do to false prophets?
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at June 24, 2008 10:48 AMyeah - point well taken, I get tired of that perfunctory little excuse for getting my way and "bending the fig leaf" just so I can cover my naked ambition. Not saying that all who have used the phrase are not sincere, but when it is just a cultural habit and not a statement of the "mandate of heaven" for our lives, it's cheap. How many times do you hear "God told me to...forgive my enemies so no matter how difficult I find it in my flesh, I will obey". No, usually, if you read between the lines it's more like "I will use God's Name so what I intend to do is off limits to your criticism - it also deludes me into thinking that I am doing right when in fact I am just fending off guilt by using God as a token religous symbol" Let's not get into the phrase "I was led to..." or "I wasn't led to..."
Posted by: bill purdy at June 26, 2008 01:03 AMDear Doug,
There is absolutely no way and no words adequately to tell you how much I appreciate everything you say--here in your blog, in the HM Magazine, and I LOVED especially this picture of you at the Concert! Thanks for being you! You deserve all the blessings God is heaping on you. To Him be all honor and glory for being His willing instrument to bring so much JOY TO OUR WORLD! (Your Tucson cousin SMElizabeth) How proud your Grandparents, my Aunt Pearl and Uncle Gerald must be of you! You do them proud!!! My love to all the Extended Family. And I read HM magazine from cover to cover. It's The Greatest!