God's Opinion

Galatians 1:15-17

But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.


Good morning Zebras,

Today’s z-mail is a continuation of yesterday’s z-mail on temptation.

We all know that Satan tempts us with “things that are bad for us” but does he also tempt us through other people? Does he use other people to inadvertently discourage us or turn our eyes away from what He has asked us to do? Are people sometimes a vehicle Satan uses to cause us to sin?

Joseph did not confer with men when he was told by an angel to marry Mary; the Wise Men did not ask anyone’s opinion when they were warned in a dream to return to their country by another route; and Joseph did not call a family conference when he was told by an angel to take Mary and Jesus and move to Egypt.

Then there is Paul. Paul was struck blind on the road to Damascus given his marching orders and off he went. As today’s verse says “(he) did not consult with any man but went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

Nor was Jesus swayed by the opinion of his disciples. Look at His response to Peter when Peter wanted to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

As women we like to talk about everything and sometimes that is good, but sometimes I think it is bad. If you talk to ten people you might get ten different opinions and instead of clarity you have confusion.

Also as women we tend to suffer from low self-esteem. We aren’t as confident as we should be. When someone doesn’t agree with us we immediately think we are wrong.

And we like to please others.

Now none of this is exactly bad, but it does leave us very susceptible to getting off track if we don't stay intimately connected to God.

Love,
Jill