By their fruits you will know them. (Matthew 7:20)
It makes sense. If you’re looking for apples,
you wouldn’t search on a cherry tree. Or if you’re looking for
blueberries, you wouldn’t go to a vineyard. But what does fruit have to
do with the “false prophets” Jesus cautions against here?
A lot. When something is false, it is pretending to be something it’s
not. Like a wolf trying to look like a sheep, false prophets may seem
harmless, but their messages are dangerous. Like a wolf, they separate
the sheep from the guidance and protection of the shepherd.
We typically think of false prophets as people who preach something
different from the gospel—and that is accurate. But what if we were to
look at our own inner voices as well? Probably more than anything else,
these interior false prophets give us wrong messages about God. They
contradict what we know of how deeply God loves us by condemning us,
burdening us, or robbing us of our peace. Whenever we believe them, we
end up confused about who we are in Christ. And that makes us confused
about the way we relate to the people around us.
So what can you do? Look at the fruit! Take note of what’s going
through your mind. If you find yourself feeling burdened, chase down
that thought, and see where it’s coming from. Maybe you’ve taken on too
many responsibilities because you feel that God won’t be satisfied with
you. Remember that Jesus has made you a child of God, and you are
precious to him. If you find yourself anxious, ask the Holy Spirit to
help you get to the bottom of it. Maybe you’re afraid that God won’t
take good enough care of you. Take a minute, and remind yourself of all
the ways God has been close to you in the past.
There’s a good chance that if you experience peace, it’s coming from
the Holy Spirit. And there’s an even better chance that if you’re
feeling discouraged or beaten down, it’s not coming from the Spirit.
With practice, you’ll get better at discerning these voices and dealing
with any false prophet that comes to you in sheep’s clothing.
“Holy Spirit, help me to recognize the fruit of my thoughts and
plans. I trust you to help me discern when I’m close to you and when I
need to adjust my focus.”
from wau.org
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