I am learning that it is simply not enough to invite the Holy Spirit to accompany me wherever I go. I am learning that I must follow him where he leads me. If I go where he has not first led me, I am walking away from him. I may do admirable things during this time but I am still walking in disobedience.

I do not wish to be like Ananias and Sapphira. They sold a plot of land and gave most of the money to the church. This is a very admirable thing to do in the eyes of men. What they did though was lie about how much they gave. They said they gave all of the proceeds to the church but they kept some of it. Keeping some of the money wasn't wrong but the lie they told so they could look better in the eyes of man was. They lied to the Holy Spirit and they died for it.

If I am going to be a vessel of the Holy Spirit, I cannot afford to go somewhere that he is not leading. If I go out to do good but am disobeying God, how can I think that I am any different than Ananias or Sapphira? I don't know that I will be killed for such a thing. After all, I have gone out and done things without the Spirit directing me many times and I still live. There will be consequences though. There will be distance between God and I and since the time is short, I can't afford to waste time running off alone when I should be waiting on God's timing.

Jesus waited for thirty years before beginning the ministry that God planned for him. Even after the Spirit descended on him, he was led into the desert to be tempted. It could be argued that Jesus would have accomplished a lot if he had struck out ten years earlier. He knew though that without the Spirit leading the way, he would be no more effective than me if I struck out alone. He was God made flesh and he waited for the Spirit's leading. How can I think that I can go out there and do good when the Spirit is not leading? Jesus himself didn't dare to do so.

I know that God has given me the Spirit but I feel that he is leading me into a desert of sorts. He is seeing if I put my own desires before his calling. I desire to go do good deeds and help people. It makes me feel good. I'm sure that bread would have tasted fantastic to Jesus after all that time in the desert without food but he denied it in favor of following the Spirit.

To sum up what God has taught me today: anything, no matter how well intended, is wrong if the Spirit is not leading me in it, even ministry.