When Common Sense Leads to Spiritual Disaster

I want to share with you an entire message that God gave to me.

People often say, "I put God first." But as a pastor, I've learned that many who claim this are not actually doing it. They are often sincere, but sincerity isn't the same as obedience.

The enemy is masterful at disguising obstacles as necessities. What looks like responsible priorities (career advancement, family time, comfort, even logical thinking) often becomes the very barrier that keeps believers from truly putting God first. Putting God first begins with prayer, asking God for direction and seeking the prayers of the saints. But it doesn't end there. This is something believers must continually work at. God must come before career, money, relationships, family, and even comfort. Saying the words is easy. Living them requires obedience that often challenges human reasoning.

Jesus said it plainly: "But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33). To seek him first means to place him above everything else in your life. It means to make sure God is in charge of all the other areas.

But what does this actually look like in practice?

The Principle: God Above All Else

God must be placed above everything else. Not just before your hobbies, but even before the things you treasure most: your families, your security, your plans, and especially your logic.

I realize that whenever I speak about following God's will, people may feel singled out or think I am nitpicking. But that reaction itself reminds you how easily the human heart can deceive! These truths are not aimed at one person; they are timeless principles given to guide every believer in every season of life.

Jesus said, "He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37).

That doesn't mean you neglect your families or responsibilities. It means you must love and obey Him first, letting His will shape where you live, where you work, whom you marry, and where and how you worship.

The Bible shows us over and over that God's voice doesn't line up with human logic. Abraham left his homeland without knowing the destination (Genesis 12). Noah built an ark when rain was unseen. Joshua carried the ark around Jericho for several days instead of attacking. If you only follow what makes sense, you will 100% miss what God is trying to do through you.

Learning to Value God's Word Over Human Opinion

I once misspoke during a Bible study and said, "I think this verse means…" An older pastor gave me a friendly reminder: "What you think doesn't matter. What God says matters." I didn't feel scolded; I understood exactly what he meant, and I agreed.

The devil loves to confuse, even appearing as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). That is why you must rely on God's Word and godly counsel, not your own thoughts.

This brings us to a crucial question: whose voice are you listening to when you make major life decisions?

The Voice You Listen To Matters

Over the years, I've watched people make major life decisions about marriage, work, housing, or family without seeking spiritual counsel. Too often, the results bring spiritual harm rather than blessing.

Many today have forgotten, or perhaps never learned, the role of the pastor in their lives. Scripture is clear that God establishes specific pastoral relationships, not random spiritual shopping. Paul wrote, "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers" (1 Corinthians 12:28). The word "set" means God actively places these roles. Christ "gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-12). This is His distribution, not our selection.

Paul also commanded believers to "know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake" (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). The phrase "over you in the Lord" indicates specific authority relationships, not general respect for all ministers. When Paul told the Ephesian elders, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God" (Acts 20:28), he was describing how the Holy Ghost makes specific overseers over specific flocks, not every pastor over every believer.

Scripture also says pastors "watch for your souls, as they that must give account" (Hebrews 13:17). I know the value of this because I had a good pastor in my own life. His counsel and prayers guided me in seasons where my own reasoning would have led me astray. That taught me the blessing and safety of seeking the shepherd God places over us.

Here is the danger: no other pastor can give you the counsel God intends to send through the pastor He placed in your life. When God sets overseers over specific flocks, He creates accountability relationships that cannot be replaced by outsiders. Whether online personalities, social media preachers, or even well-meaning friends, they do not carry responsibility for your soul before God, no matter how well you like them. Yet many people today skip their own local congregation, neglect the preaching God gave them, and wonder why they feel spiritually drained

God's plan for your spiritual feeding isn't about finding the most convenient service time, the preacher you prefer, or the congregation with the best music. His design involves specific relationships of spiritual care and accountability. When God is first, He will make clear to the pastor who He chose him to shepherd. But how do you recognize this divine appointment?

Recognizing the Spiritual Leadership

This follows the biblical pattern: God called Moses to lead Israel before Israel recognized his leadership. God gave Samuel the burden for Saul before Saul accepted his counsel. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). The shepherd knows his sheep first. The pastor receives the divine burden for your soul first, and it will be clear to him even when it may not yet be clear to you.

Scripture teaches that God's Spirit bears witness. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16). In the same way, God gives the pastor a genuine burden for specific souls under his care, and that same Spirit will help you recognize this through the pastor's demonstrated care for your spiritual welfare. As you observe his prayers for you, his concern during your trials, and his willingness to give account to God for your spiritual condition, the Holy Spirit confirms this pastoral relationship to your heart. It's like a sheep being led into a fold and then meeting the shepherd who already knew that sheep was coming and had been preparing to care for it. The shepherd recognizes his sheep even when the sheep is still learning to recognize the shepherd's voice.

The others are not your pastor and cannot feed your soul. You may think you are getting fed spiritually, but you are not if you are the one crafting your own spirituality instead of receiving what God appointed for you.

The shepherd God places in your life speaks from prayer and fasting, Scripture, and with accountability before God Himself for your soul. That makes his guidance the safest and wisest voice to listen to when you are seeking God's will.

Obedience Isn't Measured by Material Blessings

Another mistake people make is assuming that obedience to God will always bring material abundance. But following God does not guarantee wealth or ease. In fact, many of God's people lived with just enough because they learned to depend on Him daily.

Jesus warned: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." (Matthew 6:19–20).

The things of this world belong to the world. They are temporary. Peter said, "The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (2 Peter 3:10). Homes, careers, and possessions will one day melt with fervent heat.

That means obedience cannot be measured by what we own. A child of God may not have excess, but if they are faithful, they have something far greater: peace, security in Christ, and treasures in heaven.

Beloved, anything that consistently keeps you away from regular worship with the saints and from hearing God's word in person is working against God's design for your spiritual life. God's design for His people has always been physical gathering. When the early church was born, "they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42). Notice they "continued stedfastly" in fellowship, not occasionally or virtually. "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart" (Acts 2:46). This was daily, physical, face-to-face communion.

Jesus himself promised, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). The word "gathered" requires physical presence. Christ's presence manifests when believers assemble bodily, not when they watch screens from separate locations.

Paul repeatedly emphasized physical assembly. When addressing the Corinthians' problems, he wrote about "when ye come together" (1 Corinthians 11:17, 11:20, 11:33, 14:23, 14:26). Every correction, every instruction about worship, every ordinance was given in the context of physical gathering. Paul never gave instructions for virtual worship because God never intended it.

The writer of Hebrews warned, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25). The word "assembling" means coming together in one place, and the urgency increases "as ye see the day approaching."

God intended for people to be together, not to meet over social media or television or to listen to cassette tapes, CDs, or audio files. He met with Moses face to face as a man meets his friends. He is in the presence of his people when they are gathered together. Healing takes place through the laying on of hands by the elders; he told us not to forsake assembling in person. Communion, baptism, and feet washing occur in person. Weeping and laughing together in the presence of each other, and finally, the casting away of the demons that depress and vex you is done by the voice of the ministry in person.

The devil knows the power of physical assembly, which is why he works so hard to prevent it. Deception comes from excuses. If the devil is able to send something your way to distract you from gathering together, he will keep using that same strategy!

Do you want to place God first? Make a list of all the things that have kept you from being in physical worship with the saints over the last year. You will then have a list of all the tools the enemy has used against you. Eliminate those things on that list from taking your time from God, and you will be shocked at how close to God you will become!

I'm not just teaching Ideas here. What I'm describing is happening right now, right in our community. I talk to people weekly that are without a pastor or congregation.

Evidence from Our Local Community

What I'm teaching isn't just a unique situation. Right here in the San Pedro Valley, I'm witnessing exactly what happens when God's people are separated from active congregational life.

Some may argue that we do not meet daily, and they would be mistaken. Not being an active member in the congregation limits exposure to what is actually taking place. The work is thriving and is daily. As a pastor, I am excited and want others to be excited.

I have met a massive group who feels like they lost a prophet and that the Lord stopped helping them. A different group of about 80 have testified of the same type of thing in the loss of a prophet. Some of them meet for worship while others rely on cassette tapes from years ago. These people are spiritually starving, youth and other members losing out spiritually, living on wormy bread when God has fresh manna available.

God is offering them a congregation to belong to that has a pastor, that has prophecy, that has teachers and is filled with the Holy Spirit, and I want them to join us as we follow our God. But they have things deceiving them away from truth, and I pray their eyes are opened to the goodness around them!

Biblical Examples of Life Decisions Directed by God

Where you think you should live, work, go to school, worship, or whom you should marry is not ultimately about what you think; it is about what God wants or knows to be right for you. People's hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). Our own reasoning always misleads us. That is why you must pray, search the Scriptures, and seek godly counsel.

Here are examples where God's people learned to put Him first over their own desires:

Marriage and Housing - Abraham's Family (Genesis 12, 24)

Abraham received God's direction to leave his homeland at 75 years old with no destination, job prospects, or real estate plan. This made no logical sense, yet he put God's calling first over personal comfort. When finding Isaac a wife, Abraham sought God's direction through prayer rather than using logical methods like researching families or arranging meetings based on compatibility.

When Rebekah was chosen through God's specific sign, the result wasn't just a happy marriage - it was the continuation of God's promise to bless all nations through Abraham's seed. Their son Jacob became Israel, father of the twelve tribes. But equally important, choosing a wife who shared their faith protected Isaac's own spiritual life from the idolatry and corruption that destroyed other families. When you seek God's direction in marriage decisions through prayer and godly counsel, rather than following emotions or logical compatibility alone, He guides you toward relationships that serve His spiritual purposes while protecting your salvation.

But when Lot chose based on what looked prosperous (the well-watered valley near Sodom), his family was corrupted by Sodom's wickedness, his wife was destroyed, and his daughters' moral failure produced enemies of God's people. Marriage and housing decisions must serve God's spiritual purposes while protecting your own salvation, not just fulfilling personal desires.

Worship and Education - God's Unlikely Preparations (Acts 16; Daniel 1)

Paul planned to minister in Asia and Bithynia - strategic locations with great opportunities. But God redirected him to Macedonia through the Holy Spirit's guidance. Similarly, Daniel and Moses received education they never would have chosen - Daniel in Babylon, Moses in Egypt - rather than the Hebrew training they would have preferred.

The results? Paul's "redirection" established the faithful Philippian church where Lydia, the jailer, and their households found salvation. Daniel's foreign education made him the wisest counselor in the empire, influencing kings to honor the true God. Moses' Egyptian training equipped him to deliver Israel and give them God's law. When you put God first in where you worship and how you're prepared for service, He positions you exactly where souls need to be reached and His purposes fulfilled.

These biblical principles aren't just ancient history: they're meant to guide us today in our own decisions.

How to Seek God's Direction in Life Decisions

But how do you actually seek God's direction when facing major decisions? Scripture gives us clear guidance on this process.

Begin with Prayer and Fasting

Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7). But this isn't casual asking: it requires earnest seeking. When Daniel needed understanding, he "set his face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting" (Daniel 9:3). Fasting separates you from fleshly desires and positions your heart to hear God's voice clearly.

Search the Scriptures

God's direction will never contradict His written Word. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). Before making any major decision, search Scripture to see what God has already revealed about His will for marriage, work, worship, and living arrangements.

Seek Counsel from God-Appointed Leadership

Proverbs says, "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14). But this "multitude of counsellors" isn't a random selection of ministers, family, or friends. True safety comes when God's Word, the Holy Spirit's leadership, and godly pastoral counsel work together in harmony. The pastor God has placed in your life represents that godly human counsel that aligns with Scripture and the Spirit's direction, creating the "multitude" working together for your spiritual safety. Seek "the counsel of the ungodly" and you'll be led astray (Psalm 1:1). Go to the pastor God has placed in your life, whose prayers and spiritual discernment, combined with his knowledge of your spiritual condition, provide safety in decision-making.

Beware of counsel that sounds logical but leads you away from spiritual help. People often give advice based on what they "think" God would want, using human reasoning dressed up as spiritual wisdom. They'll say things like "God understands your situation," or "You can worship God anywhere." This logical-sounding counsel often positions people to either try to maintain their spiritual life alone or to abandon gathering with the saints altogether. But "there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12). Bad counsel that keeps you from your God-appointed spiritual relationships is actually Satan's strategy disguised as reasonable advice.

Expect God to Confirm His Direction

God typically confirms His will through multiple means. When the early church needed to choose Matthias, they "prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen" (Acts 1:24). God's direction comes through circumstances aligning with His Word and pastoral counsel.

Obey Quickly When God Speaks

When God gives direction, quick obedience is crucial. "To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts" (Hebrews 3:15). Delay often leads to doubt, and doubt opens the door for the enemy to confuse God's clear direction. When the disciples heard Jesus say "Follow me," they "straightway left their nets, and followed him" (Matthew 4:20). Immediate obedience protects you from second-guessing God's voice.

Watch for Peace vs. Confusion

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace" (1 Corinthians 14:33). When you're truly following God's direction, you'll experience His peace even if the decision doesn't make human sense. Constant anxiety, confusion, or having to convince yourself something is right are warning signs that you may be following your flesh instead of God's spirit.

Let me share with you how these principles have worked in my own life.

A Personal Testimony of God's Direction

This isn't only biblical; it is my life story.

My marriage began in prayer. I asked God to speak beyond my emotions and to tell me who to marry, and He did. Immediately afterwards, He warned me about a spiritual attack on her that was directed against our future marriage. This was in the day of payphones, and the nearest one was 45 minutes away from where I was working. I drove straight to it because God told me to call her - something was wrong. As we were talking, she was being opposed by others. The devil is wicked and knew that God had instituted this future union. Together, we were able to stop the issues through God's wisdom. Meanwhile, God was also telling her His will, answering her prayers, and through joint counsel with our pastor and prayer together at the altar, we made the final decision. That is key: it takes God answering prayer on both sides through counsel.

God's leadership led to my ordination in 2001 and to me pastoring in 2007. When God told me to quit my job, my wife and I talked about it and I obeyed. That was important for Him positioning me where He wanted me. I moved states, met souls that needed help, and saw people find salvation. I knew an agnostic man to whom I gave a personalized Bible and invited him to the Lord. He and his wife and children all professed faith, and he called me crying, saying no one had ever cared enough to give him a Bible.

We later moved to a location we geographically despised, but God was always first. Two congregations eventually combined with ours, and several older saints were able to worship God in a local place as they faced end of life, while younger people found a safe haven. That became the foundation to where I pastor now.

I did not get to choose cleaning toilets over ministry. When toilets needed cleaned, grass mowed, or sound systems designed, my wife and I did it because God, through the ministry in our lives, directed that way. When He said pastor, it was the same.

The results? Souls saved who never would have been reached if my wife and I had chosen our own way. Congregations combined and strengthened. Saints cared for in their final years. Young people finding spiritual safety. That is the fruit of putting God first.

The Key: God's Voice Over Human Reasoning

Throughout Scripture, we see the same pattern: what appears to be logical thinking is often Satan's deception to keep God's people from His perfect will.

Consider Noah, who built an enormous ark before rain was known. The enemy used every "reasonable" voice around him - neighbors probably saying he was wasting time and resources, that weather patterns don't change that drastically, that he should focus on practical matters. But when the floods came, Noah's "foolish" obedience saved his entire family and preserved life on earth. Following the logical counsel of others would have meant destruction.

Abraham faced the same deception when God told him to leave his comfortable home without knowing his destination. Satan's logical arguments would have been compelling: "You're 75 years old - this is no time for risky moves. You have security and success here. God wouldn't ask you to abandon your responsibilities." Yet this "unwise" decision made him the father of nations and heir to God's promises. Human reasoning would have kept him from God's purpose.

When Joshua prepared to take Jericho, military logic demanded siege equipment and strategic planning. The enemy's reasonable voice would have whispered, "Marching around walls doesn't accomplish anything. You need real weapons and tactics. God gave you a brain - use it." But this "ineffective" approach brought down the walls and gave Israel their first victory in the Promised Land. Military logic would have led to defeat.

Gideon's situation exposed the deception most clearly. With 32,000 men against vast enemy forces, every logical voice said "gather more troops." Satan's counsel through human reasoning was obvious: "You're outnumbered. God helps those who help themselves. Build your strength." Instead, God told him to send most of his army home, leaving only 300 men. This "suicidal" strategy led to complete victory. Following reasonable military advice would have meant missing God's miraculous power.

Philip was experiencing fruitful revival in Samaria when the Spirit directed him to leave for a desert road to meet one person. The enemy's logical arguments would have been persuasive: "You're reaching hundreds here. One person doesn't justify abandoning a successful ministry. God wouldn't waste your gifts on such a small assignment." Yet this "interruption" resulted in the gospel reaching Africa and an entire nation being touched by God's power. Staying where it made sense would have limited God's plan.

In each case, what seemed like logical thinking was actually Satan's tool to keep God's people from His perfect will. The same deception faces you today: reasonable-sounding arguments that keep you from putting God first, from gathering with the saints, from following His direction through appointed leadership. Don't let logical thinking become the enemy's weapon against God's purpose in your life.

Practical Steps to Put God First in Life Decisions

Putting God first is not about claiming the phrase; it is about surrender in real-life choices: Who you marry, Where you live, Where you work, How you worship,

Where or whether you are educated.

All things must come under His direction, confirmed through His Word, prayer, and the counsel of the pastor God has placed in your life. God's salvation comes with His design for spiritual growth and protection. He places you in specific relationships and congregations not based on your preferences, but according to His wisdom for your spiritual welfare. I did not get to choose cleaning toilets over ministry. When toilets needed cleaned, grass mowed, or sound systems designed, my wife and I did it because God, through the ministry in our lives, directed that way. When he said pastor, it was the same.

The heart will deceive, but God's voice never lies. To some these truths may seem hard, but that is only because you have not fully experienced the power and beauty of God working in your lives and placing him first. His yoke is easy to bear, and you will find it so.

I understand these truths may feel challenging. You might find yourself thinking of reasons why this doesn't apply to your situation. But this is exactly what I'm witnessing right here in our valley - good people who are spiritually hungry, yet something keeps deceiving them away from the very provision God has placed within their reach.

If you feel that anger or those excuses rising up, please understand: that resistance itself is evidence of the deception I've been describing. The enemy doesn't want you to see what God is offering. He will use every reasonable-sounding excuse to keep you from the congregational life that your soul desperately needs. He wants to isolate you!

The groups I've met who feel like they "lost a prophet" - they're not bad people. The 80 who are living on old cassette tapes - they love God. But they're missing the fresh bread God has prepared because something is blinding them to His current provision.

Don't let that be your story. Right now, right here in the San Pedro Valley, God is offering exactly what those spiritually hungry groups need, and what you need. There is a congregation filled with the Holy Spirit, with prophecy, with teachers, with a pastor who carries the burden for souls. The excitement of following our God together, the daily work of the ministry, the power that comes when the saints gather: it's all available today.

But tomorrow may be too late. The groups I've met who feel they "lost a prophet" have been waiting and wondering for years. Don't waste more time living on spiritual leftovers when God has fresh bread prepared. Don't let another Sunday pass making excuses while your soul starves for the fellowship God designed.

Right now, today, run to God in prayer. Ask Him to become first place in your life, to take it over and to lead you into His goodness. Ask Him to open your eyes to what He's providing right here and to remove every obstacle the enemy has placed in your way. Then obey the call.

The question that will determine your spiritual future is this: Will you put Him first today, even when it goes against what you think? Your answer will either position you for the blessing and spiritual safety God has prepared, or leave you spiritually isolated while His provision waits unused. Choose today.