Kelly - Micah 3

Wow - I know that it takes some general hubris to be a prophet, but Micah seems to be going a little over the edge here. "The false prophets say this, but I am filled with power and the Spirit of the Lord." I find him quite obnoxious in this chapter.

So how are we to speak the word of the Lord in our world? Paul and Peter both came off as know-it-alls, too, from time to time. We are called to be humble before God, but does that mean we are humble before those we present our message to?

Some of my response to my own questions comes out of my history living in Texas. There are certainly many people in Texas who are not shy about sharing their faith. But the conversations get very one-sided. It's a speech, not a discussion. I think this is why I'm so turned off by over-confident sharers of the gospel. When you declare the good news to those around you, you're simply declaring. And not listening to what needs people have that are met by God.

We live in a world full of declarations. McDonalds declares I deserve a break today. Dunkin Donuts delcares that America runs on Dunkin. And over 20 companies declare that they're the best at taking care of my data and media needs.

Declaring that Jesus Saves will only get us so far - no matter how true it may be. I believe that a prophet in our world needs to begin by listening and loving.