Gods Sabbath

P UTTING T HEORY INTO P RACTICE

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The second stage When the testing stage is finished and the plan is confirmed by two or three witnesses, the next phase begins. Now we have to carry the plan through in full responsibility to God and the church. In faith we must seek our strength from God alone. If ob stacles now come up against the confirmed plan, they no longer have any weight. Human voices which try to frighten us or influ ence us against the revealed will of God should find no response in us. The plan which was tested in humility and responsibility to God and the church has now to be carried through without be ing disrupted by distracting voices. Nonetheless we should still move forward with due consideration for others, as demonstrat ed by the example of Gideon (see Judges 6:33 to 7:25). We are part of the body of Christ and in order to co-work successfully with the different members, we must fulfil our role. Just as in the testing phase, while carrying out God’s plans we should be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Distinguishing the two stages If we mix up the two stages, then confusion is certain to follow. If we go forward in the first phase with determination, disregard ing all indications of providence as unimportant, we will be led astray. When we think that in this first stage we are not respon sible to the leading brethren and there is no need to watch for God-given circumstances, we reveal a perverse self-will and a lack of humility. Then, when the second phase begins—which in this case we will have created ourselves—we tend to place the re sponsibility for carrying out our plan upon others and feel forsak en by them when they do not do as we expect. Other unfortunate consequences can result if we refuse to carry any responsibility ourselves and expect others to tell us what to do instead. In this scenario, because we think that we have to listen solely to the counsel of experienced brethren, we do not listen to God’s voice speaking to us personally. Instead we but put ourselves in an unhealthy relationship of depend ence on the agents He uses. Once we begin with this false hu mility, we usually move into the next phase in which we try to continue this dependence upon others. As a result, we are not prepared to cope with the developing hardships and we will be