Avoid the talk-show religion and the practiced confusion of the so-called experts. People caught up in a lot of talk can miss the whole point of faith. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (MSG)
Do you ever hear things that threaten to get you off track from God’s call on your life? Have you heard, “Oh, you’re working too hard. You should slow down.” Or, “Everyone is doing it. What’s the big deal?”
We’re always going to have chatter around us that threatens to distract us from using the gifts we’ve been given and walking out the call of God on our lives. This is why Paul felt it was crucial to tell Timothy to ignore the so-called “experts” in the final chapters of his letter.
People will tell you to play it safe; they’ll tell you what you should and shouldn’t do and why what you’re doing won’t work. The reality is that you follow God, not people. Don’t let their words change your course. And if God is in the plan, it’s going to work!
Your critics may even have good intentions, but you need to decide who you’re following. Have you been praying about the direction you’re going? Do you sense in your gut that you’re on the right track? Have you talked to others who have the same beliefs and are living for the same cause? What do they say about what you’re thinking?
Or are you listening to fearful people who have never taken a chance?
Don’t listen to people who make you back away from what has been entrusted to you. Set aside the chatter, because it’s up to you to do something with the gifts you’ve been given. You’ve been called to serve God in an awesome way, and He’s empowering you to do it.