5 Tests for “Is This God?” – Test 2, Part 1

Test #2: Is it consistent with His Character?

The character of God is encapsulated in the list of fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB):

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Along with this idea – and really focusing on the fruit of patience – God is NEVER pushy, never in a hurry, and grants peace along with His will as is indicated in Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB):

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

If you feel forced, if you feel that you have to make some decision before you are ready and confident, or feel somehow that you have mysteriously “missed” Him – KNOW that those feelings are NOT an indicator of how He feels about you and neither are those feelings a result of “missing” His voice in your inmost being…He is patient, kind, gentle (and so on -concerning the fruit of the Spirit).  These disturbing feelings do not arise from the place within where He dwells.  Perhaps they are from places of personal woundedness or even from being pushed by Satan’s voice (or the voice of one of his cohorts), but they are not God…

Remember the first test (written about here)?  The consistent character of God includes holiness and sinlessness, so His voice will never go against His written word…another thing to consider…but more on that in my next post…