The Spirit of Defiance and your Witness to the World!

http://www.aol.com/article/2014/10/...rid7|htmlws-main-bb|dl2|sec1_lnk3&pLid=554528

In the last week, we have witnessed what a person with a stiff-neck; defiant spirit looks like, and how that kind of spirit could actually be harmful to themself as well as others by defying directives imposed to protect the general public. Kaci Hickcox has been bucking the healthcare system since her return to the states from heavily affected West African countries.

Of the roughly 4,000 deaths in West Africa from Ebola, close to 300 have been healthcare professionals, or just under ten percent. Still Ms. Hickcox remains defiant regarding mandated quarantines.

Well, as I read about her determination to be free of any quarantine mandatory or self imposed quarantine orders, I started thinking about God, the Bible and His words to each of us regarding things we must or must not do; not only for our well being, but for having a positive witness to the world around. And as I listen to both sides of the Kaci Hickcox argument regarding being quarantined because of her direct contact with Ebola patients in Sieera Leone, it makes me re-evaluate my own propensity to be defiant towards His instructions, especially when His instructions get in the way of how I personally (in the flesh) see something, and refuse to apply and obey that teaching to my walk.

I had to prayerfully approach God and do some self-cleaning of my heart and life, by repenting from my own spirit of defiance from time to time, because that spirit not only could harm my walk with Him, but it could be a negative impression/example (of a Christians life) on others who look to us for an example. Her attempts to defy and buck that which has authority over her for the general good of others showed me how my words and actions could easily be passed on to others causing these folks to defy God in similar ways and bring judgment on themselves.

In other words, a pastor that preaches a doctrine built from a defiant approach or attitude to a certain teaching of God, could be harmful to anyone who is willing to believe and follow him down that same misguided path! Westoboro Baptist is a prime example of defiance to the spirits leading and the teachings of the Word of God, and look how much harm they have brought down on others who have had contact with them in both direct and indirect ways!

What I am saying is, the spirit of defiance could be harmless, or it could be deadly, in a spiritual way, and cause others to stumble, including ourselves. Some once appropriately said, "You and I may be the only Bible an unsaved world will ever read by seeing!"

In Hebrews 11:8 (NIV) clearly, we are not to have a spirit of defiance, but one of faith and obedience to Him, as we read, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

SEE:http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-obedience.html