We face problems that we have never faced before. We are returning to believe for the fulfillment of prophecies that have been made. There is skepticism on the part of some as to whether these prophecies have been or are ever to be fulfilled. Some believe and say, “Listen to this Word. It is a good Word, an exact Word; it comes to pass.” With fear and trembling they observe the Word come to pass. For others who are in the process of God’s dealings, that fulfillment is not always as obvious.
God often veils things to people while they are going through testings, so that they have an opportunity to be either obedient or disobedient to the Word without any influence upon them but their faith in the Word.
God’s people are beginning to realize that God has meant what He has said; the Word has been a very real Word. It has been a very important Word for them. When they did not hear the Word, they found that the consequences were very great.
How should we respond to people who are going through these difficult situations? First of all, the tested ones have to have an opportunity to come into the Word of God with faith until it becomes a revelation to them; and we cannot interfere with that process, which sometimes takes time.
As people grow in the Lord, they come into a greater awareness and a greater revelation of the seriousness of the Word they have heard. We cannot force that without destroying the process that God has created.
It would be easy to confront people, “Listen, don’t you realize what you’re doing when you don’t listen to the Word of God?” However, there are several obvious points in God’s dealings which we need to be reminded of.
The first is this: Do not push another brother and say, “You have to measure up to my understanding of this Word, because I’ve had a real revelation of it!” You cannot force your revelation on another man; it must be a revelation to him.
Neither can you force your dedication on another person, because you may have gone through many deep things before you reached your present level of dedication to the Lord Christ. And your brother may be going through testings also which ultimately will lead him to be dedicated. In fact, he may eventually go on to be more dedicated than you are.
It is not good to judge a brother, nor is it good to insist that he experience the same devastations and dealings of God that you have experienced. God may be working one thing in you and another thing in your brother, and you cannot insist that he go through the same dealings as you. Your experiences will differ according to the ultimate purposes of God in your lives. One brother may go through situations which are much more difficult than you could experience, while you may go through situations which are more difficult than he could experience.
It is not of God when we see our brother through our own dedication, through our own experience, through our own level of maturity, through the dealings of God on our own life, and insist that he measure up to the same level. That would be like a father insisting that a newborn baby have the same understanding, the same perception, the same skills, and the same judgment that he has. A wise father watches over his child, especially while crossing the street and doing different things which could be dangerous, because that child has not “by reason of use, had his senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14). We progress in the knowledge of good and evil.
The more we exercise ourselves in God, the more we come to know the difference between what is good and what is evil. This is a way of expressing the fact that as we go along, we sacrifice what was acceptable to God on one level for something that is better on the next level. But we should be aware that we will advance beyond this present level of dealings, where God is still tolerant of our lack of growth and maturity, for even higher levels which bring forth His perfect will in our lives. God’s perfect will will be expressed through mature channels—channels who are dealt with in an entirely different way than people who are on lower levels.
God has different standards for different people. The standard that you are aware of is the standard that God is dealing with you on.
If we look back at the way God dealt with people thirty years ago, we realize that it was the same: there were different standards for different people. There is one Word for all levels, but the level for each person changes as he grows.
Matthew 7:1–2 says, Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
What about that Word for the level you are on now? If you have reached into God and matured and grown deep in the things of God, you have a greater understanding.
Therefore you could judge far more harshly than a newborn convert, who is just getting his eyes open to see what is around him. What he sees still has a rosy glow. He sees certain things which he wants to become, so that he can learn to toddle and to walk; but he does not understand the deep things within his own nature. A spiritually developed person can become highly critical of a beginner and thus have a worse spirit than the beginner.
When we judge adversely, it may not be because we are so spiritual or have such a right spirit, but because we are suddenly demanding that God deal with everyone as harshly as we feel He has dealt with our own hearts. That cannot be.
I used to wonder if God didn’t love other people more than He loved me. Then one day I realized that God was demanding more of me than He demanded of them. It was not that He loved me less, but there is a whole different set of standards, procedures, patterns, and dealings in my life than in the lives of those who are just beginning to walk with God.
Let’s be careful that we do not demand of others what we have come to understand and walk in ourselves; at least we must not precipitate a crisis that could destroy them. Let’s pray for them, counsel them, lead them, and give them a little time. It took time for each one of us to grow; it will take time for the rest of the people who will start walking with God.