When I walked through this situation it was one of the most challenging things I have experienced in my Christian walk. All the events were set up as a crossroads for me. Would I obey the voice of the Lord or would I obey man?
My decision was agonizing at times. I prayed, I asked, I listened, I pondered. I went up on the mountain by myself to seek God and his will for my life. Ultimately I knew that I would be standing before Jesus one day to give an account of my life and would answer to him. No man's opinion built off his own understanding would be there standing with me.
The opposition from man was fierce: "You have a false peace", "You serve another master". I kept standing on my week knees not fully understanding what just hit me. When I received my answer from the Lord however, I had the strength to stand against the voice of man.
The Holy Spirit was convicting me further to do something revolutionary to obey him. I had to lose my "righteous" spiritual standing in the eyes of men. I had to let go and walk into, what I thought would be lonely places. But when I "disobeyed" the voices of men, it wasn't a lonely place I went to at all! It was a place of peace traded in for bondage and freedom traded in for condemnation. No more would I look to a mere man to validate me spiritually or otherwise...I look to GOD and his word.
Sometimes our lives are attached to a persons own fears and insecurities. When we don't do what they say, they lose control. Which in turn, they lose power and they don't feel safe. Once you disobey them, they must condemn you as being in sin because their opinions have to be right. They have a reputation to uphold. But this is destructive because God does not do this to his own creation and neither should we. We should never seek to control other people nor should we spiritually manipulate them to feel condemned if they do not obey us. If you truly believe someone to be in sin then intercede for them in prayer and trust God to deliver them...but leave room for God to be God. If the actions of others leave us feeling out of control then we may need to ask ourselves if we are living in fear of man, or fear of God.
Usually the most painful things we experience bring about the most growth and produce the most fruit.
Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
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