Midweek Encouragement - "How to Know if Your Great Idea is From God”

“How to Know if Your Great Idea is From God”

             ^{Did you ever have what you thought was a great idea for your church or for your ministry? How can you know if your great idea is from God or from some unmet need in your own life?}

         ^{We pastors are always getting inspiration. Sometimes those “eureka moments” are from God and sometimes they’re not. Just because an idea isn’t from God doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. Have you noticed that even non-Christians often come up with good ideas, too?}

         ^{Here’s the thing. If you’re involved in your local church or para-church ministry, have you noticed how time consuming it can be? As a church leader or servant in the local church, do you find that you barely have enough time to do the things God has clearly asked you to do, let alone finding time to do those things God hasn’t asked you to do? So I ask again, “How can we know if our ‘great idea’ is from God or not?”}

         ^{First, ideas that originate with God tend to haunt us like Dickens’ three spirits. On the other hand, if you forget the idea, there’s a good chance it wasn’t God’s idea. Ideas that have their origins in our imagination or ego tend to shrink over time. Ideas that have their origins from God tend to grow over time.}

         ^{If that’s true, wouldn’t we do well to let our ideas sit for a while? You bet! If you’re a leader or servant in your church or para-church ministry, consider putting your idea on the shelf for a few days or weeks. Most ideas can wait. If your idea whistles at you every time you walk past that shelf, it might be from God. But remember, that whistling sound might just be an inner-ear problem, so consider getting a second or third opinion from a trusted Christian friend before implementing your “great idea.” Ask someone what they think of that light bulb over your head without suggesting that God put it there. When we say to people, “I think God is telling me . . .”, we intimidate and close down feedback we might need to hear.}

         ^{I know you think your great idea is from God, but you might be wrong. Give it some time and if God wants you to do it, nothing will be able to stop it from happening.}

^{For those of you who will be worshiping at the Mt. Laurel Church of God this coming Sunday, September 1, Pastor Cheryl Dorman, our guest speaker, will be bringing the message from God to you from Luke 9:23-27.}

^{Pastor Dale}

Pastor Dale (PD) and Pamela his wife are honored to serve the Mt. Laurel Church of God. If this Mid-Week Encouragement has helped you, perhaps it may encourage someone else. Feel free to share this message with anyone you choose. And if you'd like to receive PD's Mid-Week Encouragement, just send an email to (kingdomguy@gmail.com) and I'll accommodate your request.