Living above Reproach Pt. 2 "Doing vs Being"

Living above reproach requires an unquestionable obedience to God. Our experience with him in the past will not be the same. God instructions to us will not be the same even tho the situation may be the same. In Exodus 17 God instructed Moses to “hit” the rock to bring water out of it in response to children of Israel’s grumbling that they had no water. We now fast forward 40 years in Number 20 again the children of Israel are complaining about no water and why did Moses bring them out Egypt, where they at least had water. Moses decides that since he struck the rock 40 years ago he could get the same results despite the fact that God clearly said to “speak” to the rock. Moses also seems to take ownership for bringing water from the rock when he says in verse 10 “must WE bring water for out of this rock?

God is always concerned with our relationship with him more than what we can “do”. Did water come from the rock? Absolutely however it was not the way God had commanded Moses to bring the water forth, and as you know this act of disobedience was the reason Moses wasn’t allowed to cross over to the Promised Land. There are many things we can “do” but God wants us to realize who we are in him and that requires obedience to his every word. I did a lot of good things over my life in addition to the mess I made of my life. I “did” Youth ministry, I “did” Pastor stuff, Youth Pastor Stuff, Husband etc, etc, and I even “did” recovery for a while. I don’t want to do anything anymore I want to “be” all that God wants me to be. Because it’s in the “being” that my relationship with him determines all that I “do” I don’t want to do recovery I want to “be” recovery, I don’t want to do what a husband does I want to “be” a husband, a Pastor, but more importantly a Man of God who everything I do is a result of my relationship with Christ.

Someone asks about the Pastor in GA who is facing some serious sexual abuse charges from some young men under his care- “How can he possible do that and he’s such an awesome Preacher and Pastor? Again I don’t know if the allegations are true or not but I do know that you can still “do” a lot of things and not be obedient of God. Just ask Moses…I know he can testify!

Reflections:

Are you relying on the way God did things in the past ? Have you been hitting the rocks in your life when he has said “speak” to them ?

Psalms 119:48 “My Hands also I will lift up to your commandments, which I love and I will meditate on Your statues.