I’ve been on a bit of a bender.

I’ve watched documentaries on Ruby Franke and the FLDS in the past, and I’ve watched/am watching two that popped up recently on Netflix.

And I have a few things stirring in my heart.

1. Ruby Franke’s desire was to parent her children well, a desire that took a sick turn when looking to someone else for advice instead of studying the love of Christ in God’s Word.
   
   So instead of being Jesus to her kids by loving them unconditionally and gently guiding them into the people God created them to be, she let fear win.
   
   Fear that her kids wouldn’t measure up. Fear that people would possibly blame her for being a bad mother. Fear that has absolutely nothing to do with God. And so? She turned to the sin of controlling others, which ultimately negates all faith in God.
   
   
2. The FLDS also works in a similar vein – fear and control being at the heart of their “religion,” all the while stamping it with a Christian label (as if God would ever approve such vicious handling of His children).
   
   Like Ruby, these people look to another human being to be God’s mouthpiece instead of directly communing with their Savior.

So here’s the truth: Jesus already came. He is the one we should be looking to for guidance, not others who claim to speak for Him. We should, of course, meet with our fellow brothers and sisters and allow the ones we thoroughly trust to speak into our lives.

HOWEVER: We’re to have discernment. Jesus told us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, and to look out for men intent on hurting us.

So, as easily it is to be swayed by other people, the onus is on us to not let that happen. No pastor, priest, “prophet,” or the like has the last word in our lives.

God does. Period.