As The Spirit Leads

As the Spirit Leads

All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Romans 8:14

In the Amish culture there is no discussion about whether or not God is real. Everything in their lives is focused on the reality of His existence. Youth are taught to believe without question. They are surrounded by those who also believe without question. But how deep does that belief go? It’s one thing to believe a chair is a chair; it’s another thing to sit in it—to trust it completely.

Today, some of the modern terms that non-Amish Christians use are making their way into the Amish culture too. Many Amish are concerned about this because the more things change, the more their tradition is challenged:

More and more Amish talk about “a personal relationship with Jesus” and the “assurance of salvation and forgiveness” while attending Bible studies, sing-alongs and revival meetings. Alarmed Amish leaders have banned large-group prayer meetings and Bible readings as dozens of Amish families consider joining other churches. This closer walk with the outside world and emphasis on individual experience challenges the traditional Amish understanding of faith, said Donald Kraybill, a professor at Lancaster’s Elizabethtown College who has written widely on the Amish. “People may say, ‘The spirit led me to do this.’ And that becomes a new challenge against tradition, heritage and the authority of church leaders,” he said.

Sometimes the hardest part of being a Christian is believing what we cannot understand. We often want all the answers, but if we have them, then there’s no need for faith, is there? Sometimes God’s Spirit guides us to places that aren’t comfortable and to truths we don’t understand. The only way to know if what we are doing is from God is to compare it with His Word. We know we are God’s children when we follow where His Spirit leads us and trust that our lives are something God has planned for us all along.

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for not leaving us alone. Thank You for Your Spirit. Thank You for Your guidance.