here's an ethics question....

[HelenaZF]

I'd like to get some points of view on this issue, as it comes up for me on occasion.



What do you think is the appropriate response when someone wants to commission you to make some worship extension or garment for them and you know they are spiritually flakey? Maybe not totally heretical, but just kind of "off" if you know what I mean. And you suspect they might be using the holy object/garment you produce with some strange theology. Or maybe with some superstition overtones.



Is the right thing to do to make it for them and let the use of it be God's problem? Or does being a steward of these things translate into only releasing them to people you know will use them in a pure, holy way?



Sometimes it's a black and white thing for me. Like when the masons wanted me to make a banner for them. I had no problem declining that commission. But I'm talking about other fellow spirit-fillled Christians who are just a little off the beam, and usually way out from any covering body. I struggle with this fairly often, so I'm interested to see what y'all have to say about it.

[flaglady]

Yep, know just where you're coming from in that one, Helena. It's quite a challenge - do I, don't I? My answer is a little easier as it's flags I sell and not something somebody's actually going to wear. But I pray over my flags all the time I'm making them, cutting, stitching, mounting, packing - all the time. So my trust is in the Lord - if they're going to someone who's not all His, that He'll reel them in because of the annointing on the flag.

[HelenaZF]

So my trust is in the Lord - if they're going to someone who's not all His, that He'll reel them in because of the annointing on the flag.

That's a great mental picture there LOL...and a good point. There is a release of sorts that we have to make...not trusting in our own assessments, and we know that God sees deeper in the heart than we ever can. And I hadn't really considered that the thing itself might be a conduit for healing and redirection to that person.

[flaglady]

Glad to hear it's helped!! It was one of those God inspirational things!!

[HelenaZF]

Praying over a new commission right now. It was a request for one of my flag designs that I don't consider particularly successful. (It looks great, but aerodynamically, it doesn't perform quite how I would have liked it to.)



But the person seems to really want it, regardless, so I suppose I will release it. I may do some tweaking on the shape first though.



I do feel much more at peace about releasing them into whatever ministry God has for them. So at least that hurdle has been conquered.