A Fickle Spirit Is Not Always Easy to Spot

Today, I feel an urge in my spirit to confront the spirit of fickleness and lay the groundwork for someone who needs reassurance that Jesus is never late; He is always on time. Let's start with the definition of a fickle person. This person is someone who comes across as inconsistent with their thoughts and actions. For example, this person can exhibit an unfaithful heart, unpredictable temper, or lack of steadfastness. Mary and Martha revealed some of these characteristics when their brother, Lazarus, fell ill even though they witnessed several miracles by their close friend Jesus.

I can openly admit that it's easy to become frustrated or blame God when situations or events don't work in our favor. I know how you feel because, regrettably, I have been there myself a time or two. But over the years, I've come to realize that God isn't set on punishing us; instead, He wants our undivided attention and for us to increase our faith.

With everything that's going on around us globally, it can cause us to either doubt God or question our faith. Is it possible that we operate from the spirit of fickle faith that is not easy to spot within ourselves? At one point in my life, I found it challenging to pray even when I felt the tug of the Holy Spirit leading me in one direction, but my heart screamed abandonment, despite the fact that I never uttered the word. I remembered it like yesterday, the hurt, the pain, the vulnerability of feeling exposed to unimaginable pain and watching people scorn me as I walked through my process.

But God.

Making you feel like a castaway is never His intent. What He intends is for us to draw closer to Him. When we think about the first few chapters in the Book of Romans, Paul discusses how Jesus overtook sin and death – the moment He died and was resurrected on the third day by the Holy Spirit. I don't know about you, but to live the life that God has destined for us, we must let go of fickle faith. Because without faith in Christ, there is no hope, no peace, no grace. That is how fickle ideas manifest, whispering Satan's lies that Jesus or others may not value us or love us because they do not help or arrive at the point of time that we deem critical in our lives. For instance, was it fair for Mary and Martha to assume that just because they were close friends to Jesus, it was His responsibility to drop everything He was doing to tend to their needs? See, this was a fleeting moment of fickleness even though they were in need. Instead of Jesus immediately showing up after receiving the sisters' message, He delayed His journey because the end result was more significant than Larazus' death or the sisters' inconsistencies in terms of their faith. The purpose of the delay was so God, the Father, could receive all the glory.

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Let's dive deeper.

John 11 highlights this fickle spirit in several entities as you meditate on this text: the crowds, the two sisters of Lazarus - His close friends, and the disciples. Like the previous statement, America is undergoing one of the most remarkable shifts known to humankind, from religion to politics. This spirit of fickleness isn't easily recognizable in oneself when faced with unexplainable life events if one is not rooted in the Word of God.

Like Lazarus's death, just because Jesus doesn't show up for us when we call on Him in our time of need, it doesn't mean that He loves us less than He loves another believer. It merely means that He understands waiting on the right opportunity to intervene on behalf of the Father. Plus, what we see as urgent isn't necessarily an emergency in His sight.

When we go through a trial, it signifies to God that through this test, it allows His Son (Jesus) to be glorified through the Father, to show that what is impossible for man is possible through Him.

From the overall text written in John 11, we see that Jesus sincerely cares for Mary, Martha, and Lazarus even though He doesn't jump at the news that His dear friend is very ill. Isn't it amazing how we can expect Jesus to come immediately when we go through tough times, but we are quick to anger, yet slow to pray, worship, or even repent at times?

As we each go through a personal season or life event that seems unmanageable to us or those connected to us - be clear that God still sits on the throne. He's ever ready, even if we're taxed with soul-crushing blows.

So I recommend these tips from my heart:

Breathe.

Pray.

Denounce the spirit of fickleness.

Ask God for wisdom.

Know that Christ is there to lend a solution to your problem and break the chains that keep you in a place of overwhelm. But as you wait like Mary and Martha, try not to get weary in well-doing.

So, I ask:

Do you operate from the spirit of fickle faith?

Why is it difficult to trust the move of the Holy Spirit before the miracle occurs?

Do you only credit Jesus after the miracle manifest itself but not during the interim? What can you do to change this negative pattern?

Prophetess Leslie E. Brown is the CEO & Founder of Faith Heart International Ministries. She's a prophetess to the nations, a thought-leader, a mother of two, an author, and an entrepreneur. Prophetess Brown also pioneered the global Christian digital and print monthly publication for women Faith Heart Magazine. She is also the author of The Miracle Comes after the Test found on Amazon.