Have you ever felt called by God to something before? If we are saved, most all of us have. But what God has laid on my heart lately is how God sometimes calls us NOT to do something.
For example, the famous "Come to Macedonia and help us!" vision in Acts 16: right before that, in Acts 16:7, the Spirit called Paul not to go to Bithynia. God laid it on Paul's heart to preach. He was on his way to Bithynia to preach--and the Spirit stopped him. What's that? Sometimes, we can get called of God not just to do something--but NOT to do something.
It's easy when that thing is sinful. Such as when you're on a date, and the Spirit tugs you not to go too far physically with the other person. Of course not--obviously we are never to sin, or to do something evil. The Bible says, "Don't do this...", you hear the Spirit say "Don't do this," and...well...it's clear. That's easy. It's evil and wrong, God told you not to, so don't.
But it's harder when the negative calling is not "bad", per se. Paul was being led by the Spirit not to PREACH. What? Isn't preaching a good thing? Well...yes. But sometimes God can call us not to do even good things. For that matter, a lot of things are neither good nor evil--they just are. Such as God calling you not to stop at a particular gas station. Filling up gas is neither a good nor bad thing. But for whatever reason, if God calls you not to, you need to be aware of that and follow. Not all good things on your heart necessarily got there because God laid it there, on your heart.
There are different reasons why God might call you away from something--even a good thing. For example, you may be kidding yourself--your motives are impure. Or your motives may be part good, and part not. For example, I have prayed before, "God, please let me have money, so that I may be a blessing to those in need around me, and not a burden to others." I had PARTIALLY good motives. But not entirely: God could easily just bless those around you directly. Why does He need you for a middle-man? A better prayer would be to pray for THEM. God might respond back, "Okay, I will bless them. And you are going to do it."
Other times, maybe even your motives are pure, but you are misguided. Or not even misguided--just UN-guided. Paul's motives to minister to Bithynia seem pure. He certainly wasn't misguided, either, because Jesus himself called him to preach. He was just not guided specifically to Bithynia. Who knows why? Do we need to know? If we truly pledge ourselves to follow and to serve our Master and Lord, then God has His direction where He wants to go, and we are to follow that--not just go out and do good things. Who knows, with Paul? Maybe Bithynia was for someone else to reach. Paul needs to go to Macedonia.
So, be open to God's calling: not just to do something, but NOT to do something. He could do so. You can have the purest heart in the world, but just be UN-guided. That thing you are contemplating, no one may question that it is good--it's just not the direction the Spirit is guiding. There may be something He knows that you don't, He has something else in mind, or He may be guiding you to something good elsewhere.
For example, the famous "Come to Macedonia and help us!" vision in Acts 16: right before that, in Acts 16:7, the Spirit called Paul not to go to Bithynia. God laid it on Paul's heart to preach. He was on his way to Bithynia to preach--and the Spirit stopped him. What's that? Sometimes, we can get called of God not just to do something--but NOT to do something.
It's easy when that thing is sinful. Such as when you're on a date, and the Spirit tugs you not to go too far physically with the other person. Of course not--obviously we are never to sin, or to do something evil. The Bible says, "Don't do this...", you hear the Spirit say "Don't do this," and...well...it's clear. That's easy. It's evil and wrong, God told you not to, so don't.
But it's harder when the negative calling is not "bad", per se. Paul was being led by the Spirit not to PREACH. What? Isn't preaching a good thing? Well...yes. But sometimes God can call us not to do even good things. For that matter, a lot of things are neither good nor evil--they just are. Such as God calling you not to stop at a particular gas station. Filling up gas is neither a good nor bad thing. But for whatever reason, if God calls you not to, you need to be aware of that and follow. Not all good things on your heart necessarily got there because God laid it there, on your heart.
There are different reasons why God might call you away from something--even a good thing. For example, you may be kidding yourself--your motives are impure. Or your motives may be part good, and part not. For example, I have prayed before, "God, please let me have money, so that I may be a blessing to those in need around me, and not a burden to others." I had PARTIALLY good motives. But not entirely: God could easily just bless those around you directly. Why does He need you for a middle-man? A better prayer would be to pray for THEM. God might respond back, "Okay, I will bless them. And you are going to do it."
Other times, maybe even your motives are pure, but you are misguided. Or not even misguided--just UN-guided. Paul's motives to minister to Bithynia seem pure. He certainly wasn't misguided, either, because Jesus himself called him to preach. He was just not guided specifically to Bithynia. Who knows why? Do we need to know? If we truly pledge ourselves to follow and to serve our Master and Lord, then God has His direction where He wants to go, and we are to follow that--not just go out and do good things. Who knows, with Paul? Maybe Bithynia was for someone else to reach. Paul needs to go to Macedonia.
So, be open to God's calling: not just to do something, but NOT to do something. He could do so. You can have the purest heart in the world, but just be UN-guided. That thing you are contemplating, no one may question that it is good--it's just not the direction the Spirit is guiding. There may be something He knows that you don't, He has something else in mind, or He may be guiding you to something good elsewhere.