Tuesday, December 7, 2010

HORIZONTAL VERSUS VERTICAL

"Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and
hid him in the sand." - Exodus 2:12

Moses saw the pain of his people. He saw the bondage and the injustice.
His heart was enraged, and he decided he would do something. He would
take matters into his own hands. The result was murder. The motive was
right, but the action was wrong. He went horizontal instead of vertical
with God. Moses fled to the desert, where God prepared the man who would
ultimately be the deliverer of a nation. But it took 40 years of
preparation before God determined Moses was ready. He was a professional
businessman—a sheepherder. It was during the mundane activity of work
that God called on him to be a deliverer.
Moses was like a lot of enthusiastic Christian workplace believers who
seek to solve a spiritual problem with a fleshly answer. The greatest
danger to the Christian workplace believer is his greatest strength—his
business acumen and expertise to get things done. This self-reliance can
become our greatest weakness when it comes to moving in the spiritual
realm. We're taught to be problem solvers. But, like Moses, if our
enthusiasm and passion are not harnessed by the power of the Holy
Spirit, we will fail miserably. Peter had to learn this lesson too. His
enthusiasm got him into a lot of trouble. But God was patient, just as
He is patient with each of us. Sometimes He must put us in the desert
for a time in order to season us so that Christ is allowed to reign
supreme in the process.
Before you act, pray and seek the mind of Christ until you know it is
God behind the action. Check it out with others. You may save yourself a
trip to the desert.

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