From The Archives: Playing The God Card

This is a post from a couple of years ago.

I was speaking to someone the other day.  We were talking about another person doing a work in their church.  He responded by basically saying, “God told them they didn’t have to.”  Those weren’t the exact words, but basically it gets down to that.  This person had played the God Card.

You know what the God Card is, right?  It’s what those of us in the church often use to justify what we want to do or to get us out of what we don’t want to do.  Someone asks you to do something.  Your answer?  “I’m sorry, but I don’t feel led by the Lord to do that.”  Someone asks you why you are doing something.  Your response?  “God has led me to do it.”  Once that happens the argument is over.  Who are we to question whether God wants or doesn’t want someone to do something?  Who are we to oppose God’s will?  The God Card has been played.

Guess what?

Most of us have played it.  I have.  I wanted to go to seminary.  I felt “called” by God to do it.  I was telling someone about it.  They said I have better get busy going since God wanted me to do it.  They implied that I needed to leave right then and begin.  After all, God wanted me to do it.  This was the best answer I ever got.  It started me on the path to realize that I really wanted to blame God for what I wanted to do.  That way I didn’t have to take responsiblity for my decision.  The decision was in God’s hands.  After all, what else could I do but follow the Lord?

Why do we do this?  If someone asks you to work in, let’s just say for kicks, VBS.  If you say, “No, I don’t like VBS”, then you will be viewed as someone who is incredibly selfish and does not want to sacrifice for the kids.  However, if your answer is “I don’t feel led by the Lord”, then no one can view you in any other light than being obedient to God.  See the difference?  And let’s face it.  It happens all of the time.

Let’s just be honest.  If we are pursuing God with all we have, get asked to do something or want to do something, just do it.  If you don’t want to, don’t do it.  Man up and take responsibility.  Don’t worry about what someone else thinks.  Charge after Christ with everything you have and do what you want.  Don’t look back and don’t play the God Card.

Have you ever played the God Card to get your way?  I would love to hear examples of how others have done it.

I Never Had “A” Salvation Experience

Ask most folks about their salvation experience and what will they say?

Most will refer to some time when they were a kid and walked down an aisle during the invitation.  Perhaps they will refer to a night during VBS when they were in elementary school.  Maybe they are referring to going one night to a revival meeting.

It could be any point in the past.

How about you?  Do you look back to your salvation experience?

I don’t.

I refer to my salvation experience as now.

Now, if you want to refer to a specific point when I was born again and justified, I’m with you.  That happened when I was twenty-four.

Salvation hasn’t ended though.

Salvation is a continuous event.  I continue to benefit from that moment.  I have life.  Not just any kind of life.  It’s abundant life.  It’s eternal life.

He continues to sanctify me.  That is part of salvation.

One day He will glorify me.  That is part of salvation.

You want to say that your salvation experience is in the past?  I’ll argue that point with you.

If you know Christ, salvation is a continual experience.

I never had “a” salvation experience.  It’s still going on.

Tell me about your salvation experience.