Did Anybody Else Hear That?

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1–2

- Have you heard God’s voice? - Would you know if you had? - Imagine how your stress level, your contentment level change your life in general might be different than it is now if you were regularly guided by the voice of God?

As a follower of Jesus, it is God’s intention for you to be guided by him; his plan is for you to know his will, not for it to be some secret that only a few of his followers can decipher. He wants you to be able to ask him for anything so that he can give it to you. Do you believe that? This truth is straight from scripture very often straight from Jesus' lips (Read John 15 for example). For most of Jesus' followers, however, this is not their reality. Why?

I think that a big part of the answer is that we do not put ourselves in situations where we create the likelihood of hearing his voice – maybe because we are just so busy we don’t make the time, maybe because we don’t really believe he will speak, maybe because we actually believe he might and are not sure we want that kind of clarity about what God wants from us. In any event, few followers of Jesus regularly hear his voice – and that’s not ok. So, what do we do?

Like I said, we need to create the likelihood that we will hear his voice. We need to carve out space to put ourselves in situations where that happens. Solitude and silence is a start; sitting at God’s feet, coming regularly -- not occasionally -- clearing the way to be with God as a pattern, a habit, learned and experienced over a long period of time. As you do this, you will hear your true God bought identity (fully loved, fully accepted), see your brokenness (without condemnation), see your healing (as you are fully known and fully loved by God), and see God. You will hear his voice and know that you heard it. Once you experience it, you will want to hear it again, to return and sit with God, to hear his voice again. Once you experience it, it will be easier to order your life around the likelihood of hearing God’s voice and then to move into the ways he guides you.

Ruth Barton in her book, Introduction to Solitude and Silence says, “God’s will for us is generally for us to do more of that which gives us life and to turn away from those activities that drain life from us and debilitate us.” (p. 123) I believe that is true. I believe that is what happens when we are guided by the voice of God. I am convinced that this reality is available to you and to me, and that stillness, solitude and silence in the presence of God are gifts given to us by God, which increase the likelihood of hearing his voice.

What do you think? Let me know and discuss it with others who you are in community with.

Peace, hope and love

Doug