Choose to Respond Positively

Today as we think about choices we make as Christians, I want to touch on something that most of us don’t worry about too much. We commonly accept our immediate response to something as “normal” or “correct” without thinking that it may need some adjustment to conform to God’s will.

I want to look at our response to other people first. Most of us have some “types” of people with which we are not comfortable. Sometimes we can describe what’s at the root of this, sometimes it’s “just a feeling.” I’m not suggesting that we should affirm everyone we meet in terms of their sin and weakness, but we can respond positively toward them as we recognize their value as persons made in the image of God.

This isn’t so hard with those who conform to certain standards which we see as important, but it becomes much more difficult when confronted by those who don’t meet those standards or, worse yet, openly flout them. The fact is that these people are still loved by God, even if they don’t measure up as far as we’re concerned. Extending the grace of God to others always calls for a positive response at the deepest level, even when there is a genuine problem, real sin, direct offence. Grace will always moderate our reaction to them, as people.

However, we are likely to find it truly impossible to respond positively toward others unless we are first doing so in regard to the Spirit of God. We respond positively to Him by submitting to His authority and acting on His leading.

This is one of those areas where most of us find it easy to fall into error in one direction or the other. On the continuum between objectivity and subjectivity we tend to cluster at the poles. Some would never think of acting out of what we might call “an impression” or “an inner urging.” We assume that’s “just a feeling” and should be ignored in the absence of some objective truth. Others, it seems, speak about or act on every random thought that pops into their heads. They assume that the Holy Spirit is the source of every idea that comes to mind.

What I want to do now is consider how we might avoid both extremes and thus find ourselves truly responding positively to the Spirit - not merely acting out of the distortions of our sinful nature and thinking that we are being “spiritual” as we do so.

Let’s say you are facing a decision of some sort. How do you respond positively to the Holy Spirit in the matter? First of all, you need to believe that God exists, cares about your situation and would actually provide guidance in such a matter. I say this because Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 ESV) and James 1:5-8 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double–minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8 ESV).

If you are a person of faith - you really trust God and take Him at His word - then you will be expecting Him to answer. You can look for indications of His leading in things like:

When you sense something becoming clear to you, apply some tests to it. Ask yourself questions like:

Assuring that you can answer these questions in the affirmative will keep you from overemphasizing erroneous subjectivity. If the answers to these questions are positive, you would be wise to assume you have a prompting of the Spirit. Once that is the case, act on His leading without procrastinating or rationalizing it away. Remember, we aren’t seeking to please ourselves, we’re seeking to do what we need to do to please Him.

If you respond negatively to the Holy Spirit, you quench Him, or as we might say in everyday language, you shut Him down. When this happens repeatedly, your heart becomes increasingly hard toward Him. It will become harder and harder to discern what He wants from you and more and more difficult to respond positively to Him.

My suggestion today is that to enjoy a vibrant spiritual life, learn to respond positively to God and the people He brings into your life.

Ron Hughes
© March 2009