God: You’ve healed a lot from past […] experiences. But the problems aren’t in the lies you are aware of and have healed from, but in the ones you still don’t know are actually lies. I want to free you from five of them, right now.
1. Your responsibility is to make sure your client/boss has no complaints about your work. That sounds like wisdom; but when it comes to micromanagement, it creates extreme toxicity. And you got used to some micromanagement: projects changed without your input, no room for discussion but just obedience, so many iterations with no clear end in sight and demand for more. You’re in an exchange of services, work for dollars, and it is OKAY to say “this change isn’t worth it” based on your and the client’s needs, or else increase cost.
[God and I discuss the source of that lie]
2. You have no ownership in your work. Only in a toxic work environment. You got used to your work being trampled, and for it to have no semblance to what you originally created.
Joshua: God, is it okay if I respond to that?
God: (nods)
Joshua: I don’t have any ownership in my work! If I’m getting paid for it, it’s not mine! None of my input matters; […] None of my work actually matters, just what they do with it.
God: (shakes his head) “None of your work matters”. That’s what you just said. Then why are they paying you for it?
Joshua: Because they don’t want to do it themselves.
God: (shakes his head) Because they want you to do it. There are plenty of ways not to do things yourself. For example… by not doing it.
Do you realize that what you are saying is “no leader cares about their following, only about the vision”?
Joshua: But that’s true! It’s ALL ABOUT THE VISION!
God: Hmm. Let’s go to the third lie:
3. A vision is separate from those meeting it.
Joshua: Totally true! There’s a reason why we have altars: to throw ourselves onto them.
God: NO. […] I became the sacrifice in place of YOU. Altars aren’t made for you to die, but for you to live.
You are a “living sacrifice”. Don’t forget the “living” part. That’s an important part. I’m not looking for you to be a dead sacrifice. I want for you to be FULLY ALIVE.
To finish 3: the vision has to include those who are helping build it. If it doesn’t, what are you doing? I don’t merely send disciples out to build up the body of Christ for others—they’re part of the body of Christ as well!
Joshua: …That’s true.
God: Yes it is.
4. If a work is unto God, sacrificing yourself unto it will be rewarded. Tell Saul that, when he disobeyed me and Samuel spoke, “To obey is better than sacrifice”. Sacrifice unto a work I am not leading you into doesn’t make it reward-worthy. I regretted making Saul king, because he acted IN FEAR OF MEN rather than IN HONOR OF ME.
5. Honor is silence.
Joshua: Well, duh.
God: (shakes head) I said that is a lie. Honor is not silence. Silence may be honor, in some cases, but not always. [You were] taught “those who disagree with leadership are acting against it”.
That is a lie.
Joshua: Well… we all have to be on the same boat.
God: (shakes head) If I don’t command you to be on the boat, being on it is disobedience. This is part of why if people say nothing, YOU TAKE IT AS AGREEMENT. Speaking up is good. Wisdom for the right time is also important. You can honor someone exceedingly and argue. Honor is not silence.
[…]
[Now] break these lies in Jesus’s name.