Zebra Ministries

Good morning Zebras,

In yesterday’s z-mail I mentioned I prayed and waited on God’s confirmation before going ahead with something I thought He wanted me to write about.   I waited because I know I have complete freedom to go to yoga, but I do not want to use that freedom to cause others to stumble.

In Pauls’ charge to the Corinthians about eating meat sacrificed to idols, he writes this:

1 Corinthians 8:1–13 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up…So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one…But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.  For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols?  So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.  When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

Paul is saying we should never use the freedoms, given to us by God, if they are going to cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble.  God gives us freedoms not so that we can indulge ourselves but so we can use that freedom to serve others.   

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

So I waited, I knew if God wanted me to share what He had shown me He would make it clear.

You notice I did not say I “threw out a fleece” as I waited. That’s because years ago, when I used that phrase with my daughter she told me that most theologians consider Gideon’s need to throw out a fleece (Judges 6) evidence of his lack of faith.  I had never heard that!  Don’t we say we are “tossing out a fleece” as evidence of our faith in God? 

As subtle as it sounds there is a difference between waiting on God to confirm something and throwing out a fleece. When you toss out a fleece you are giving God directions on how you want Him to respond on one specific issue.  Which is different than just waiting for God to make His will known.  I know because I’ve done both. 

I love you Zebras, I know you don’t want to do anything outside of God’s will, and you won’t if you are willing to wait for Him to make it absolutely clear.  And he will, with or without a fleece.

Love,

Jill

P.S. Funny side note I went to look for an image to accompany this post.  I Googled “fleece” and got this. So, here’s our challenge…Wear fleece, wait on God!!