“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8 NIV)

Throughout the more than 20 years of hearing God’s voice in prayer, the Lord has told me many things that I would rather have not heard. I guess that I could have pretended that I didn’t hear Him, but that would have likely resulted in actually not hearing His voice going forward.

One specific thing that I have heard the Lord tell me was to distance myself from a family member who is always surrounded in drama and betrayal. The term “no good deed goes unpunished” is exactly right when it comes to that family member. She just can’t help herself. One of my siblings insists that God would never tell me to distance myself from her. As if he, who has only heard God say a few words in his lifetime, would know what God would want for me personally. So let’s hypothesize for a moment what would happen if I chose to ignore God and instead listen to my brother’s instruction. Aside from making my brother a mini-god, I would lose connection to the one true God. I would stop hearing God’s voice because I would have chosen to disobey God and honor my brother above God.

Does God have a purpose for telling me to distance myself from a family member? I could quote Jesus in Luke 14:26 (“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”) which seemingly contradicts a commandment in Exodus 20:12 (“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”) Do I leave the situation up to a Biblical interpretation, a family consensus, or do I give God the absolute authority and obey Him? Listen, I would absolutely be lost without hearing God’s voice. I would be truly the loneliest person on the planet if God ever stopped talking to me. I would be devastated. Not only that, God would likely need to dethrone my brother in a way that would burden my heart.

My daily routine is constantly seeking God. I ask Him for direction all day long every day. It’s one of the reasons that loud music in restaurants is so offensive to me. It is difficult to hear His spirit voice when there are distracting sounds trying to drown out His guidance.

Do I just ignore my brother’s opinion? No, I don’t. I take everything to God and ask Him why my brother is so determined to tell me to disobey God. God’s response is usually something like “Leave him to me. I’m doing something in his life.” I’m not angry with my brother but I can’t help remembering the Scripture where the serpent in the Garden said “Surely God didn’t say” as the devil walked Adam and Eve out of God’s specific will for them.

So why bring all this up now? While I was eating a breakfast sandwich in my van down by the river this morning, God told me that it similarly portrays a pastor’s desire to seek the counsel of men rather than to trust God’s authority on the matter of the trinity doctrine. The pastor has searched the Scriptures, sought peers, and struggled with his own identity but has refused to listen to and obey God. Why? Has he convinced himself that being right with man is more important than being right with God?

Yes, I have provided Scriptures for the pastor to study but always with the instruction to seek God. I have repeatedly stated what I have heard God say but have always reminded that obedience to God is not by proxy. “Don’t believe me. Ask God yourself!” Here’s the thing, I don’t want to be responsible for those who would twist the words that I bring from God. I don’t want to be responsible for being a mini-god for anyone. My responsibility is solely to do exactly what God tells me to do. I’m not responsible for how it is received. Will I lose friends? Sure. Will I find it difficult to be part of a church family when false doctrines are being taught? Sure. But will I ever lose my connection to God? Never!