I was talking with a couple at lunch yesterday and mentioned how I don’t usually like it when people throw “The God Card.”
What I meant is that the statement, “God told me…” immediately cuts off conversation and puts others in an awkward spot. Either they agree with you, or they seemingly go against God.
Far too often, I’ve seen the God Card used as a form of manipulation by religious leaders. It can lead to control rather than conversation and followship rather than ownership.
Jesus, who could have thrown the God Card at will, took great pains to educate and reason with people so that they would grow in their wisdom and knowledge of God and his values. He discipled and grew people up rather than just controlling and moving them around.
There are times, however, when a person truly does believe that God has said something or told them to do something. And it seems that sometimes a person needs to let another know that they feel deeply convicted about a decision based on a time of prayer or fasting.
Maybe in these situations we still need to spend some time reasoning with others (like Nathan did with David) and we still need to have grace and humility – after all, we’re not Jesus and we can be wrong, misunderstand things or have a piece of something that will fill out as time goes on.
Maybe, when we feel that God is saying something to us, we should have God inspired conversation rather than just “Play the God Card.” I’ve always thought that we’re one step away from pride and becoming the Pharisee… and there’s nothing we should be more careful and humble about than invoking the name of God (just see the first 2 of the 10 Commandments!!)