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Day 5: The Woodchipper:
Our assignments may change every day, but the gifts of God resting on your life are irrevocable. God isn’t tossing your gifts into the woodchipper when you don’t exceed His expectations or even when you fail as a son/daughter. He’s a good Father. He’s not in a hurry with your process. When we get sucked into striving and patterns of performance-based ministry, we stop working from love and start reaching for approval. We can’t pioneer when we’re holding onto the baggage of the opinions of man.

Romans 11:29 (ESV) says, “For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” The gifts of God are without repentance. That means that God will never regret giving them to you. He will never regret that He called you, and He will never take them back. Gifts can’t be rescinded. If you’ve ever tried to return the wrong mail that went to your house, and it keeps showing up in your mailbox anyway, you know what I mean. The Greek word charismata means free, undeserved gifts. We can’t lose what we didn’t earn in the first place.

God won’t take away gifts, but we can use them for the wrong kingdom. We see that with Judas. You can walk away from God, and you’ll get to take your gift with you. Isn’t that a heartbreaking and sobering thought? That we can build things without God and deny Him the very thing He wants most—us?

God doesn’t consult the accusers in your life to see if you’re worthy of the gifts He’s given you, any more than if Samuel had consulted Saul before anointing David or if God had consulted Herod to make sure it was a good time to send His Son. He isn’t controlled or manipulated by man’s offense, jealousy, or anger. There is so much safety to grow into full maturity under the covering of a kind and loving Father whose mercies are new every single day.

If we’re using our gifts as a weapon to manipulate, gaslight, brainwash, intimidate, sow fear, flatter, or control people, we’ve crossed over kingdom lines, and we need to repent, get clean, and come home. There are times people preach, and it steps on my toes, but it’s biblical, so I know it’s not them attacking me. It’s the Holy Spirit convicting me, and it’s a gift to make me more like Christ.

Let’s stop throwing people in the woodchipper, and focus on the real enemy. We need to mature in our discernment if we think people are the problem. There is a spiritual battle all around us. Let’s not build cases in our hearts against people or adopt other people’s offense as our own and get sucked into the swirl of second heaven warfare. We war from high ground – seated with Christ in heavenly places.

Clearly there are times we need discernment and holy boundaries for our protection because the enemy uses people all the time to attack, scheme, and ultimately partner with his accusations to divide families, houses of worship, friendships, nations. As far as it depends on us we’re called to live in peace with everyone. Reconciliation isn’t always possible this side of heaven and it isn’t always up to us. But offense shouldn’t be living rent-free in our heads or causing a root of bitterness to grow and poison others.

Cancel culture is demonic. It’s a woodchipper for people. It’s a preview of the separation of hell. It’s a virus of slander spread by the prince of the air (Satan) through the airwaves (social media/chatter/gossip) to get us sucked into a swirl of second-heaven warfare. If you’re wondering if it’s seeped into the church, you bet it has! We haven’t only tolerated it we’ve also contributed to it. We should have real concern for where things are headed. The enemy knows that if we can’t love people we do see properly, we’ll have a very hard time truly loving a God we can’t see.

There is a way that seems right and a way that is right. The Lord knows the difference. Jesus warned us of all the darkness we’d face in these days, but His biggest concern was that we’d lose our love—our love for Him and our love for one another. Sometimes, we get more zealous about removing demons and exposing people than we do about protecting what really is most precious to Him. Love covers. Love believes the best. Love doesn’t keep score.

Maybe the woodchipper you’re experiencing is less about a person or situation and more about a war over where God wants to take you next and the ones coming up after you: Paul says in Galatians 5:15 (NLT), “But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.” It’s hard for God to trust us with revival fire when we’re prone to burning bridges and destroying people.

Fear is a false protector. If I have to reject you to protect my heart, I have placed more faith in the enemy than God. Those walls you erect for your safety can easily become a prison if you don’t add a bridge or a door. God can’t honor dishonor in how we handle people, no matter how much the airwaves preach a different gospel. Healthy boundaries leave space for hope.

Rejection leaves people hopeless, so what can we do?

“Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]. Philippians 2:3 (AMPC)

And how did Jesus respond to the Pharisees when they tried to toss Him in a woodchipper:

“But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has arrived among you.” Matthew 12:24-28 (NLT)

When the Pharisees tried to demonize Jesus, He didn’t run. He publicly rejected labels that didn’t come from His Father, kept His eyes on finishing His assignment, and gave us permission to do the same. If you’ve ever experienced that kind of hellish rejection, I’m so sorry. Whatever the rejection or accusation, stay anchored in the truth that none of that love was wasted, and none of those years were lost if it was done for Jesus. The fruit of your obedience still counts in heaven, even if people toss it away.

I’ve had to learn that some people are only meant to stay in our lives for a season and making sure I’m always accepted, loved, and understood is not my assignment. You can live in reaction to the goodness of God or you can live in reaction to the activity of hell, but never both together. Accusation is the language of hell and you can recognize it by the hellish fruit it produces.

If you’ve walked through the pain of being rejected and misunderstood, the Lord is speaking over your heart: UNCANCELED. People can try to throw your relationship or reputation in a woodchipper, but they can never throw your identity or your calling in there. Man can’t define your value because Jesus already has. You can’t control what comes against you but you can control your response to it. Stay pure. Stay honoring. Stay humble. Stay Christlike. May the Lord give you victory on every side as you pioneer unfettered from the voice of the accuser.

Isaiah 54:17 (NLT): “In that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!”