By:
Growing up, my parents knew this couple. They had been friends for a
long time. This couple really loved my parents, but they didn't attend
Lakewood. They lived on the other side of town and thought it was too far. It
was about a 30-minute drive, which is really no big deal nowadays. But for
years they told my father, "If you ever bring Lakewood to our side of
town, we will be there every time the doors open. In fact, there are so many
people, thousands on this side of town, that would love to attend Lakewood."
My father
heard him say that so much that he was convinced that there was this mass of
people on the other side of town waiting for Lakewood. So he rented an
auditorium less than five minutes from the house of this couple, spent
thousands of dollars on the building, the sound system and the advertising; and
for one month, every Thursday night he brought Lakewood to that side of town.
The truth is, God didn't call him to do it; these people called him to do it.
They talked him into it. It was a good idea, but it wasn't a God idea. There is
a difference. There can be a lot of things that look fine on the surface, but
you've got to search your heart and say, "God, is this for me? Is this a
part of my destiny? Is this a God idea or is this just a distraction? Is this
just people trying to squeeze me into their mold?"
My father
went to great lengths to have this service across town and spent thousands of
dollars—and do you know that practically nobody showed up, less than 200
people. The amazing thing is that the couple who talked him into it did not
even attend a single service. The first week, they had Little League. The
second week, they had guests in from out of town. The third week, their
goldfish was sick. The fourth week, their cat was depressed. They had the
craziest excuses. My father left there kicking himself all the way back across
town. He learned his lesson. If people call you, people will have to take care
of you; but when God calls you, God will take care of you.
I've
heard it said, "What God orders, He will pay for." Just because
something is good, if it's not God's plan for your life, there won't be an
anointing on it. You have to stay sensitive to the peace of God on the inside.
Don't go against that Still, Small Voice. You're not anointed to be everywhere;
you're anointed to be where God has called you to be.
"Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the
way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to
the left." (Isaiah
30:21, NKJV)
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