I have learnt quite a few things from God while ministering to others, and I have also learnt what not to do... I just want to share. I'm not trying to offend anyone.
I'm gonna ramble a little, so please excuse me if it's not organized well. My thoughts are still really messy.
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First of all, it's about helping them grow closer to God, always. Always pray, always listen to the Holy Spirit, because without His guidance, there is no way we can do God's work. We don't tell people what to do or how to live their lives. God tells us what you do and how to live our lives. What our responsibility is to God, is to help others understand who He is (and who He is not), how He speaks (and doesn't speak) and how we surrender to His Spirit (and stop giving in to deceitful spirits), as according to His Word and not human doctrines or our own minds.
It's all about Truth. It's about being washed clean by the Word of God. And this is a personal process between every unique individual and the Lord. It's about surrendering to His Spirit, filling our minds with good thoughts and learning how to live this life for Him and not for ourselves.
We must never, ever put ourselves first or let our pride, or our own understanding get in the way. Let God lead!
Do not try to control them, no matter how much you disagree with them!
Our free will is important to God. He knocks and wait for us to open the door for Him, and we must all have the same patience for each other, and respect God's timing. Don't rush each other! That comes from fear, and leads to fear.
Put your own stuff aside. If you cannot spiritually discern something, be honest and say "I don't know" and don't make something up. Remember that every lie is of the devil, and it can really hurt someone if they hold on to it. So also make sure that you are truly following His Word and all of it! Don't try to correct people using a single Bible verse, while ignoring fifty other verses. You are actually opposing truth if you do that, because that's what the devil does (God is now telling me to talk more about this another time in the future, but Matthew 4 explains this perfectly)
Remember that the person you're talking to has lived a life that you know nothing about, but that God knows all about. Respect that! Because it's about them, and about God, and not about you. Ask questions! God looks at the heart, and we can too if we ask the right questions.
So be quick to listen and slow to speak!
Always pray before you speak. God is a patient God, and He expects us to wait for Him to move. So if we feel that urge to rush or act on impulse, stop!!! Be still and know that He is God!
Even if you are counseling someone, God can still use them in your life. We are all different parts of the same body, and He may have taught them something He hasn't taught you. They may hold the solution to all of your struggles, so it's important to listen and remember that we are all equals in God's eyes.
Don't try to sound really spiritual or really wise. That's of the flesh! And it's pride. God isn't involved in that, so you would be doing it to your own glory. Be a humble servant of God, and don't think too highly about yourself.
Christ came to serve us, so He could show us how to serve each other. That's what we have to do. Wash each others feet, teach each other, exhort and encourage each other, prophecy to one another. And do it all for God, not for ourselves!
And rebuke each other, but do it with love and in His Spirit in order to help each other become more like Christ, not more like the mold we imagine in our heads.
Remember it's His will be done, not ours! ALWAYS!
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I hope this helps someone. God taught me all of this, and I think it's really cool! Praise Him! All Glory to the Father and the Son!
I'm gonna ramble a little, so please excuse me if it's not organized well. My thoughts are still really messy.
---
First of all, it's about helping them grow closer to God, always. Always pray, always listen to the Holy Spirit, because without His guidance, there is no way we can do God's work. We don't tell people what to do or how to live their lives. God tells us what you do and how to live our lives. What our responsibility is to God, is to help others understand who He is (and who He is not), how He speaks (and doesn't speak) and how we surrender to His Spirit (and stop giving in to deceitful spirits), as according to His Word and not human doctrines or our own minds.
It's all about Truth. It's about being washed clean by the Word of God. And this is a personal process between every unique individual and the Lord. It's about surrendering to His Spirit, filling our minds with good thoughts and learning how to live this life for Him and not for ourselves.
We must never, ever put ourselves first or let our pride, or our own understanding get in the way. Let God lead!
Do not try to control them, no matter how much you disagree with them!
Our free will is important to God. He knocks and wait for us to open the door for Him, and we must all have the same patience for each other, and respect God's timing. Don't rush each other! That comes from fear, and leads to fear.
Put your own stuff aside. If you cannot spiritually discern something, be honest and say "I don't know" and don't make something up. Remember that every lie is of the devil, and it can really hurt someone if they hold on to it. So also make sure that you are truly following His Word and all of it! Don't try to correct people using a single Bible verse, while ignoring fifty other verses. You are actually opposing truth if you do that, because that's what the devil does (God is now telling me to talk more about this another time in the future, but Matthew 4 explains this perfectly)
Remember that the person you're talking to has lived a life that you know nothing about, but that God knows all about. Respect that! Because it's about them, and about God, and not about you. Ask questions! God looks at the heart, and we can too if we ask the right questions.
So be quick to listen and slow to speak!
Always pray before you speak. God is a patient God, and He expects us to wait for Him to move. So if we feel that urge to rush or act on impulse, stop!!! Be still and know that He is God!
Even if you are counseling someone, God can still use them in your life. We are all different parts of the same body, and He may have taught them something He hasn't taught you. They may hold the solution to all of your struggles, so it's important to listen and remember that we are all equals in God's eyes.
Don't try to sound really spiritual or really wise. That's of the flesh! And it's pride. God isn't involved in that, so you would be doing it to your own glory. Be a humble servant of God, and don't think too highly about yourself.
Christ came to serve us, so He could show us how to serve each other. That's what we have to do. Wash each others feet, teach each other, exhort and encourage each other, prophecy to one another. And do it all for God, not for ourselves!
And rebuke each other, but do it with love and in His Spirit in order to help each other become more like Christ, not more like the mold we imagine in our heads.
Remember it's His will be done, not ours! ALWAYS!
---
I hope this helps someone. God taught me all of this, and I think it's really cool!
Praise Him! All Glory to the Father and the Son!
