Challenges to Knowing and Hearing from God Part 14

We are challenged to be devoted to God alone, looking to Him for encouragement, reward, recognition and motivation.

One way to determine who and what has authority in your life is to identify your source of encouragement and motivation. Just as we recognize God as the sole authority in our lives, we recognize Him also as our sole motivator and encourager. Who (or what) do you go to first? God knows you need encouragement—look to Him for it; He may use people, but when you recognize it is from the Lord, the impact will be life-giving.

Knowing God is primarily a solitary endeavor rather than a team effort. No one can walk your walk for you, and you have not walked this way before. There is an accusation prevalent in some religious circles that people ministering outside an authority structure of denomination or congregational leadership are acting independent of the church, or as “Lone Rangers.” This attempt at manipulation is generally merely an expression of:

1. Control on leadership’s part. If every believer heard from the Lord for themselves, a goal most church leaders would say they are working toward, there would be no need for continual expansion of the local congregation, no need for building programs, outreach fund-raising, pledge drives or even bake sales, since when God is in charge, what needs to get done, gets done!

2. Immaturity on an individual’s part. If we believe our religious leaders are responsible for our education and growth, we reject God’s sovereignty and abdicate our responsibility to know God for ourselves.

The Lord is both your Reward and your Rewarder. Though there will most likely be evidence of God’s work in your life, there is also the likelihood that no one else will ever know all the hard work, the time, attention and sacrifice it takes to know God.