Recently a friend of mine was dealing with an issue of a financial discrepancy. God had laid it on her heart to say nothing and do nothing but to trust Him to take care of it. She did what God asked. Later her husband became aware of the situation on his own. She told me that she was encouraging him to not say anything.

I had to stop her and tell her to pray about it but to be careful what she encouraged her husband to do. She was convicted to remain silent but he might be, as the priest of the family and the provider, convicted to do something. She had not considered that (neither had I until that very moment).

Pastor Pat gets this a lot with different decisions he makes. People think he should be more harsh or more lenient. People feel that he should act more quickly or back off...whatever the case may be, they might be convicted in a certain direction, or they might act differently if it were them in charge, but their convictions are based on where God has placed them. Pastor Pat's convictions are based on where God has him and what God is working in him and in our church.

I am writing all of this to say, the next time you question someone's decision, especially someone in a position of more responsibility than yourself, stop and consider, are they perhaps being held to some other conviction by the Lord than yourself? Perhaps whatever God is working in you is something totally different than what He is working in them.

Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean we accept everything that those around us are doing no questions asked. I am just saying to stop and consider this one possibility before jumping to conclusions. Stop and ask them why they made the choices they did. Often people are willing to share, and you will be amazed at what you learn!