Via Nehemiah 2, as the Israelites begin to rebuild the walls of their city after being in exile for years, a lot of outsiders begin to share comments and feedback. I love Nehemiah's response:
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked.
I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”
You will regularly hear from many people who have something to tell you about how you should change what you're doing. Perhaps you should listen to them... or perhaps you shouldn't even slow down to give them a moment of your time.
It all comes down to who is doing the speaking versus if God has already spoken.
If God has given you or a group of people together seeking Him a recent clarity versus you feeling tickled by something that you have yet to understand, protect that. Just be careful - because you may mistake one for the other and assume you have a clear mind. We like to think when we're hearing from God that no one else is... but we also have to protect what God has told us as His people to do.
May you live in both humility and conviction. May you not assume that if He has spoken to you that He hasn't also spoken to others, but may you also follow through on what God has spoken to you.
Outsiders are not on the inside...
but the Holy Spirit always is.
