“So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39
New English Translation
There have been so many times that people assume that their idea is the best idea merely because… well… they were the one who had it. However, that’s not how it works. You’re probably like, “yeah, duh, I know that.” But do you really? How many times have you assumed everyone should jump on a “great idea” simply because you thought it up and feel like it’s a good one? My case in point.
So, the question then remains, how do we know when an idea is actually a good one or a movement is worth following or someone is a good leader we should follow, etc.?
That is honestly, a really-really good question (and I’m not just saying that because it was my idea). You can tell whether something is good and worth being a part of or following based on two things: 1. whether the concept honors God and 2. whether the execution honors God.
See, an idea or a person or an institute can say things that appear to honor God, they can put a nice motto out there or a catchy t-shirt all day long. However, that only fulfills the concept honoring God. The next thing that must be checked is whether they actually follow through on those cute-sie little phrases.
Let’s give an example. What if a college says that they are a Christian school and are striving to help students strengthen their walk with God and grow as individuals in their faith? First off, they’ve fulfilled the concept honoring God. It looks like a good option to consider for going to school. The next step is seeing if the school actually fulfills that.
Say you’re a student looking at colleges. You’ve been getting lots of mail and emails from the college we just spoke of. You’ve decided to schedule a visit and today is that day. You’re going to sit in on a couple classes and see what you think. One of the classes is their science gen ed and then you decided you want to see what their “Christianity in Modern Times” class was like.
You made it through the science class with little to no problems. You’re slightly concerned that you couldn’t tell the curriculum’s stance on evolution, but you’re giving them the benefit of the doubt… maybe they address that in another lesson! Next, it’s time to sit in on the Christianity class. You’ve been sitting through the class patiently but are very concerned that the teacher has misquoted scripture, seems to support incorrect beliefs about marriage, and has a strong support of evolutionary theory. But wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a Christian school? This class seems to have the sole purpose of rejecting Christianity, though.
Now you’re super confused. Initially you thought this school was perfect. Everything about their motto and catch phrases screamed, “we support Christianity, and we’ll grow your faith!” Yet, the actual application of such values is missing. So, is this school worth following and supporting? Nope.
That was a super easy example. However, life isn’t always that straightforward and simple. Case in point, the Pharisees were 100% sure that they had figured out that Jesus was not worth following, but they were wrong. Sometimes you’re going to be so sure, but so wrong.
That is why what Gamaliel, a teacher of law, said in Acts 5 is so important. He stated that if something is of human effort alone, it cannot last. However, if something is of God and from God, it cannot be stopped. Why do you think Christianity has lasted for so long? It’s of God and cannot be stopped. It doesn’t matter how much persecution there is, it will never be stopped.
So, when you’re deciding whether something is good or right for you to do, ask God for help. Ask Him whether it’s something that He put into motion. If not, then don’t do it. If you do something He’s not in or you try to stop something that He’s in, you’re fighting against God. FYI, not a good idea… He doesn’t like that very much.
I encourage you to take some time right now and ask God whether you are doing what honors Him or not. Also take some time to place before Him the decisions you are preparing to make and ask for His help and guidance. He’s never going to send you in the wrong direction. He loves you way too much for that.
