CONFUSION . . . GOOD OR BAD?

"Confusion is not of God . . . " How many times have you heard that said? Or have even said it yourself? Someone says that they are in a state of confusion about some issue in their spiritual walk and someone usually quotes 1 Cor. 14:33 " . . . for God is not a God of confusion but of peace . . . in reply. If you've adopted this scripture as your "confusion buster" then perhaps it's time to reexamine what part confusion plays in your growth process.


First, this verse has nothing at all to do with the type of confusion it's meant to dispel. The chapter is talking about spiritual gifts and in particularly the gifts of tongues and prophecy. Paul says that there is to be order in the church services and the confusion (noise, babbling, chaos) that was being created by the undisciplined use of spiritual gifts. And in the context of Paul's instruction, he states that this kind of mass confusion is not of God.

Second, the type of confusion most people experience is not an eruption of mass hysteria such as this but is almost always associated with uncertainty and lack of understanding. And it's ALLOWED by the Lord for our instruction. Confusion in itself is not a sin nor is it always bad. It can become sin when we attempt to clarify through our own understanding. Actually confusion should drive us to our knees in prayer, seeking the clarity through the Holy Spirit.

Third, is not always Satanic intervention. Satan gets blamed for a ton of stuff he doesn't do and our state of temporary confusion is one of them. Confusion is generated by the Flesh and usually the result of either challenged truth or lack of understanding. We believe a lot of things that we've adapted into our Christian world view that are simply not true. And often, when these "myths" are revealed to us for what they are, we become confused and disoriented. God wants all humans to be healed of their sicknesses. God wants us all to prosper financially. If, in faith, I just keep praying for something long enough, God will do it. Now, I'm not saying these are not true of God. I believe at the core of our Father's will, He desires these for us. But . . . first and foremost, God is interested in our relationship with Him and if it takes withholding any of these blessings to move us closer to Himself then He use then for that purpose.

When the Spirit seemingly "messes" with my belief system, it causes confusion and blurs the lines. I no longer am sure what God is doing. When this happens I can react in two ways. I can run to the Lord and sit before Him until clarity returns or I can run away and seek to unwind the mystery by my own means. The first option, of course, is the right reaction but often not the one I take first. I often do the second. After all, if perceive that the God I trusted has just betrayed that trust, how can I sit at His feet and wait for clarity? And when it's further reinforced by the misuse of 1 Cor. 14:33, I am justified. The best way to deal with it is to rebuke the enemy and move on. A typical fleshly solution which solves nothing, in fact, in only deepens my doubt and uncertainty that God has my best interests in mind.

Confusion, on the other hand, when viewed as a tool that God sometimes uses to drive me toward Him, can be a backward blessing. In Luke 11, Jesus begins the chapter by teaching the disciples to pray and then launches into a short treatise on prayer. In 11:9, he says, " . . . ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." This is the perfect remedy for dispelling confusion.

ASK. Go to Him, ask for clarity, for wisdom, for understanding and it will be given, Jesus says. He says that if we ask anything in His Name, it will be done. God wants us to reveal the truth . . . you want to know the truth.

SEEK. Don't stop there. Seek for the open doors to understanding Him and His ways. He doesn't operate according to the ways of this world. That's why we are confused because we don't understand His Ways. Seek them out!

KNOCK. When you find that door, knock on it. Sometimes we expect to just meander into all knowledge and truth. We want to kick the gold nuggets out of the earth with the toe of our shoe. We're lazy, we expect God to spoon feed us. But there is work involved. Truth discovered is truth retained. It's like money, when we earn it with hard work, we appreciate it much more than a free handout.

So when you find yourself confused, first, ask yourself why? What just happened here that has thrown me into this state. Run to the Lord, ask Him for wisdom and clarity and then go out seeking and knocking, confident that you will discover what God has. Clarity will come. Understanding will grow. Faith will be strengthened.  

"If anyone of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5 (NASB)