There was a couple that couldn't get on together so they decided to separate. So they went to their pastor and asked for his advice. The man started saying his complaints for his wife's behavior. He blamed his wife for many things. Similarly the woman was blaming her husbant for lots of things. After listening to them for some time the pastor said "OK stop it here. Well, you know I am not Solomon to find out who is right and who is wrong. But I want to ask both of you a question" He turned to the man and asked him "When was the last time you were filled with our Lord's Spirit?". The man turned his head down and stayed silent. Then the pastor turned to the woman and asked her the same question. Similarly the woman turned her head down and kept silent as well. And the pastor said "How is it possible to expect our Lord to change your hearts if you are not filled with His Spirit? So instead why don't you go home and start praying and getting filled with the Holy Spirit?"
Nobody can change our heart, our character. Only the Spirit of God can do that. So let's give Him the chance to do it.
Thank you brother Giannis for that important lesson: that it is only by God's Spirit can we have our minds, attitudes, and problems sorted out.
Though, I would have liked to have seen the pastor also giving wise counsel to those with marriage difficulties. As you shared in a later post of the biblical requirement of self-discipline, I also apply that discipline to someone correctly & consistently applying biblical Truths and patterns in both one's personal life and in Church life. So, by definition, a pastor is a shepherd, quite different to the other gifted appointments in the Church. Yes, a pastor (& elder) should be able to teach & lead a Fellowship, but primarily he is gifted (or, ought to be) as a shepherd of his flock.
I think that the pressing need of that couple was to hear some good helpful words from the Bible & with the pastor's mature experience, to both guide them and also to assure them of his understanding of their issues and assured prayers - and of course to follow-up in their progress. But those are just my thoughts, yet fully agreeing that the pastor's words to first seek the Lord in prayer & allow His Spirit to fill and guide them towards forgiveness and reconciliation, is most important. GBU.
Amen brother. You are right. I think my pastor used that example to give us the message that without letting God change our characters nothing can be done. We can not change our character on our own, with our own ability. We have to let God do that. We actually know what to do but we can not do it. A social worker might had given good advice as well. But still people separare. Why? Because they don't or cannot do the advice that was given to them. But you are right. That pastor should had adviced them as well saying words of encouragement from the Bible.
Once our pastor told us a story.
There was a couple that couldn't get on together so they decided to separate. So they went to their pastor and asked for his advice. The man started saying his complaints for his wife's behavior. He blamed his wife for many things. Similarly the woman was blaming her husbant for lots of things. After listening to them for some time the pastor said "OK stop it here. Well, you know I am not Solomon to find out who is right and who is wrong. But I want to ask both of you a question" He turned to the man and asked him "When was the last time you were filled with our Lord's Spirit?". The man turned his head down and stayed silent. Then the pastor turned to the woman and asked her the same question. Similarly the woman turned her head down and kept silent as well. And the pastor said "How is it possible to expect our Lord to change your hearts if you are not filled with His Spirit? So instead why don't you go home and start praying and getting filled with the Holy Spirit?"
Nobody can change our heart, our character. Only the Spirit of God can do that. So let's give Him the chance to do it.
Blessings.
Though, I would have liked to have seen the pastor also giving wise counsel to those with marriage difficulties. As you shared in a later post of the biblical requirement of self-discipline, I also apply that discipline to someone correctly & consistently applying biblical Truths and patterns in both one's personal life and in Church life. So, by definition, a pastor is a shepherd, quite different to the other gifted appointments in the Church. Yes, a pastor (& elder) should be able to teach & lead a Fellowship, but primarily he is gifted (or, ought to be) as a shepherd of his flock.
I think that the pressing need of that couple was to hear some good helpful words from the Bible & with the pastor's mature experience, to both guide them and also to assure them of his understanding of their issues and assured prayers - and of course to follow-up in their progress. But those are just my thoughts, yet fully agreeing that the pastor's words to first seek the Lord in prayer & allow His Spirit to fill and guide them towards forgiveness and reconciliation, is most important. GBU.
Amen brother. You are right. I think my pastor used that example to give us the message that without letting God change our characters nothing can be done. We can not change our character on our own, with our own ability. We have to let God do that. We actually know what to do but we can not do it. A social worker might had given good advice as well. But still people separare. Why? Because they don't or cannot do the advice that was given to them. But you are right. That pastor should had adviced them as well saying words of encouragement from the Bible.
GBU
This comment thread is locked. Please enter a new comment below to start a new comment thread.
Note: Comment threads older than 2 months are automatically locked.
Do you have a Bible comment or question?
Posting comments is currently unavailable due to high demand on the server.
Please check back in an hour or more. Thank you for your patience!
Report Comment
Which best represents the problem with the comment?