To read Part One, click here.

SKINNY MINNY: LEANNESS OF SPIRIT:

Psalm 106:10-15, gives us a sober look at something. It's the journey of Joe and Jane Christian. One day they come to Christ, they give their hearts to Jesus, they become part of the Body of Christ and they connect to His local church. They are taught the Word and soon they see their enemies disappear, they start living the victorious Christian life. They believe His Word and they start singing His praises! Life is good. God is good. Church is good.

He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their enemies; there was not one of them left. Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.

But then ...
But then ... they started to get antsy. (Sadly, we've seen this over the years at KVFC and we've talked to lots of pastors of growing churches who have experienced the same thing.) God was requiring these church members to grow. God was pruning them with the Word. God was asking them to give sacrificially. God was asking them to serve. God was asking them to step up. They weren't getting the personal attention they wanted at church; they had heard all of the pastors' stories; the music wasn't the same; the church was too big; they were getting wise in their own eyes; they started to forget how much God had done in their lives and how mightily He had used the church they were planted in to feed and lead them into the things of God.

They forgot that God has set them in that local church. They started to long for something else. They started to murmur. They started to complain. Their discontent and rumblings were wearing out the leadership of the church and God Himself was not pleased with their unbelief. One day ... they decided it was time to leave the local church God has set them in. God allowed them to leave—after all, people have a free will.

BUT ... He sent leanness into their souls. A thinness. Spiritually they were famished. It's what they thought they wanted.

They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. NKJV

Here's where the problem lies.
Often times believers are not listening to the Head of the Church or His Word and they end up with a lean soul! They are doing what THEY want! They look for a church that meets all of their criteria ... the leadership is perfect, the Bible teaching is strong, the worship appeals to all generations, using all styles and types of intruments, the members are always kind and considerate, serving is optional, giving is not expected and if at any time these criteria are not met then you are free to leave and find another church that will suit your needs. The real bummer is that no such church exists. It would be funny—if it were not so true!

We've been stunned and sometimes not sure how to respond when someone tells us, "Well ... we are not sure we want to attend here anymore ... we think we'll take some time to visit other churches and shop around and if we don't find anything we like any better, we might be back. God bless you." When you put it into a few different contexts it actually rather sad.

What if ... you were dating or engaged to someone you had been with for several years and one day you said, "Well ... I am not sure I want to date you anymore ... I think I'll take some time to date around and if I don't find anyone I like any better, I might come back to you. Bless ya." How does that sound? What advice would you give to the party beind dissed?

What if ... you've been in the church that God has set you in ... but for some reason you get offended, bored, frustrated or disappointed with something that didn't meet with your approval ... so YOU just decide leave. Can God bless that? As one preacher once said, "sometimes people WENT, but they weren't SENT by God." If you just WENT, but you were not SENT by God ... that's not a good place to be. It's a set up for leanness of spirit.

To read Part Three, click here.

Copyright © 2007 Beth Jones Ministries All rights reserved.