God's the potter

     God is the potter and only He knows when to test people or push them out of their comfort zone. Let us leave testing, stretching and molding to Him. He knows what people need. I heard a pastor speak on "testing" others. He said he's learned the hard way never to test anyone, because only God knows what tests people are able to pass. God sees our hearts and knows every detail about us. Only He knows what tests we are ready to take. If we are going to be arrogant enough to act like the Potter (God) then we have to be prepared for people to fail our tests. Only God knows what people are ready for. 

       I believe the same thing is true about pushing people out of their comfort zones. I often hear people say, "I'm going to stretch you a bit". I've even known extroverted people who try and change others to be like themselves. Again, we are not the Potter of other people. We don't have a right to push, stretch or test one another.

         We can encourage people and even push and stretch others in general, but to call someone out, pinpoint them in our thoughts as if we know what they need and dictate situations in their life is arrogant. It's us playing God. It ends up hurting people because we really don't know what others need, why they are the way they are, or what God is doing in their lives in this season. We only know what we see and feel, which is often half a picture.

       Let's learn to enjoy people the way they are. If we want to strengthen and disciple lets be general and not assume we know someone, especially if we don't have a relationship with them. If God wanted you to play such a role in someone's life He'd bless you with the intimate relationship needed to accomplish it. But most times we are taking on the Potter's role based on assumptions and not intimacy and truth.

        Think about your children or future children. Would you want a stranger disciplining them, dishing out tough love or giving them advice that could change their life? Probably not. You'd only want those who had a father's or mother's love to take on those roles. In the same way, we often want to test, stretch and push those we haven't been given a deep love for. Which makes our efforts more about satisfying ourselves and what we want to control in others and not about true discipleship.