The Wrong Way

The Wrong Way

WRONG LEADINGS

I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. 2 Corinthians 2:13

The great Apostle Paul says he ignored an open opportunity because he had ‘no rest’ in his spirit. In verse 12, the immediate reason he assigns for his ‘no rest’ in his spirit is that he did not find Titus in Troas. He acknowledges that the open door that was opened for him was ‘by the Lord.’ That means that he bypassed a divine appointment because of what he felt on the inside.

What’s the lesson here? Not every ‘inner feeling’ or ‘no rest’ we have is from the Lord. Sometimes there are clear reasons why we feel deeply about something. In Paul’s case, he was able to tell the source of his ‘no rest.’ He had deep anxieties about the safety of Titus who was to have arrived earlier in Troas to meet him.

One of the dangers we face when we seek to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading is assigning every feeling we have to the Holy Spirit. Many a time, what we feel is not from the Holy Spirit at all. It may just be from our fears, worries and anxieties. Fear has a voice; worry has a voice; anxiety has a voice. Don’t mistake them for that of the Holy Spirit.

At other times it could just be our hopes speaking to us and not the Holy Spirit. Especially when you desperately want something to happen, it is very easy for you for you to ‘hear things’ that seem to agree with your expectation. If the great Apostle Paul could feel ‘no rest’ because of his anxieties, so can you.

Prayer: Lord, help me discern Your true voice from other voices.

Scriptural Reading: 2 Corinthians 2:12-17

The Wrong Way