Just who do you think you are?

     I've been asked that question quite a number of times.  Mostly in a negative sense after making a statement or telling someone something they didn't want to hear.  My plan wasn't to irritate anyone.  Okay, maybe some of the time.  My plan was to do what was needed to wake someone up to what was going on in their life, their world and how that intertwined with my world.  Ever felt that way?  Earning the "right" to speak into someone's life isn't easy but should be.  For instance, when I enter into a relationship of friendship or more, implied is the "right" for someone to speak into my life and I into their life.  When I enter into a work relationship my boss or bosses have the "right" to speak into my life positively and negatively.  (I've only been fired from one job.)  When my life was changed by Jesus coming into my life, the "right" to speak into my life was given to every true believer who came alongside me.  There are plenty of ways to speak into someone's life.  People have used numerous approaches on me and as a result my choice has been to accept, ponder or reject what they had to say.  Perhaps I should say "Amen" now and stop.
       However, that's not the way I roll and on we go.  So what gives me the right to say what is said here in this blog?  Is it life experiences?  I'm 62 and have more life experiences than most my age.  Is it education and training?  I have 2 Masters and almost enough ongoing education for a third.  Is it wisdom?  Despite some of the glaring mistakes in my life, wisdom has come (though usually through the school of hard knocks.).  How about common sense?  Yes, I have some common sense.  Not enough at times as my mistakes testify to.  How about common experiences?  There are few times that people can bring up a situation that I haven't found myself in over my lifetime.  However, the most important qualification comes from my becoming a Christian.  Being endowed with the Holy Spirit aids me in speaking the mind of God to you even as it's speaking to me.  So, being aptly qualified to speak to those listening, I speak.
     All the things in the previous paragraph were meant to convey the ability of all who serve Christ to speak into the lives of others.  Jeremiah, the prophet, was called to be a prophet at about age 13.  He was told (you can read this for yourself) to not take a wife, have a family or make any personal plans because his life was going to be miserable.  Jeremiah spent his life telling the people that their sin was taking them down the road to disaster.  They didn't listen.  They said, "Just who do you think you are?"  He said, "I am a prophet of God and this is what he wants you to know."  They didn't listen until they entered captivity.  When God's people left Egypt they numbered approximately 4.5 million.  When they went into captivity there were only a little over 80,000 people left.  That's a huger loss and yet the people didn't listen.  We're no different.  We maybe listen but still only do what we want to do.  This is evidenced by the lack of Christians who actually say what God wants tem to say regardless of the cost.
     Political correctness is just another phrase for Christian shut up.  Just who does he think he is?  John was "one crying in the wilderness make way for the coming of the Lord".  He was not popular but even went to the point of calling out the religious authorities for their heresy.  Heresy is false teachings.  We don't have many in our congregations that confront pastors when they say something that is false.  When we do the next move is out the door for the person confronting.  As a past pastor I had the unpleasant duty of listening to a church chairman and a deacon tell me and the rest of the deacon board that they felt in this particular situation we needed to NOT do what God said we should do in Scripture.  As a past counselor I've had people tell me that they know what I was sharing was true but they were going to choose their own path even if it was wrong.  As a past police officer I warned people to not do what was wrong.  When they did make their choice for what was wrong they were arrested or cited.  Just who do you think you are?  If you don't listen and then do what God tells you to do, you are wrong.
     I've been right and I've been wrong.  When right I try to remain humble and leave it alone.  When I've been wrong I've been repentant (most of the time) and changed my ways.  Some people just can't seem to leave things alone.  In this day and age of selfishness unforgiveness has taken a firm root in the Christian garden.  When unforgiveness is approved by the body of people worshipping there, (notice I didn't say body of believers) the destruction of the witness of God diminishes and eventually goes out.  God goes away and we are left off worse than when we didn't believe.  At least that's what the Bible says.  Thomas Jefferson was famous for having a Bible where he cut out passages that offended him.  Don't you and I do that when we reject what God is saying through people who God has put into our lives to speak to them?  If we reject the messenger (like Jeremiah), then we reject God.  If we fail to stand for our faith, we will fall for any other faith.  Just who do you think you are?  I hope you KNOW you belong to Jesus and have the power of God coursing through your veins.  Don't give up even when they don't like you.