In any crowded room I know which kid is mine. I could identify those cries, those laughs, those screams and – good grief – those tantrums, from a mile away. I’m sure any parent could confidently say the same thing no matter the age of their kid. We know our kids voices and they know ours.
I think of this very thing when I read John 10:27.
”My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
Our lives should be so in tune with God’s voice that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt when He speaks, what He’s saying, and how He’s saying it. We know His voice, and He knows ours.
The Bible gives us clear indications as to how God speaks, but it’s in the applying of these day-to-day truths that we discover our own conversational rhythm with Him. As we learn His voice – and how He specifically speaks to us on a personal level – our hearts grow closer, our minds grow sharper and our trust grows deeper.
BUT… what happens when the doubts, the lies, and the discouragement are screaming at full volume and you’re not sure if you hear God’s voice at all? What do you do then? How do you figure it out?
I believe it’s important to pause, confront the voice, and identify what this voice is saying. God’s voice will always speak truth. That’s not to say it will always be fluffy and fun to hear, but it will always align with His word and compel you to change because it will be drawing you to His likeness. The enemy’s voice will always want to make you feel right, validated, comfortable, stuck in your ways all the while keeping you focused on yourself and your fears.
When you confront God’s voice, you are giving Him the chance to demonstrate His love for you through the power of His word. You are opening up your life for the wonderful miraculous to take place in your heart and mind, this is how your trust deepens – and that’s when it happens! That’s when you can find yourself beautiful engaged in conversation with Christ.
When you confront the enemy’s voice, you are once again giving Christ the opportunity to demonstrate His power. The moment you discover a lie to be a lie is the moment God can destroy that lie with His truth. And that’s when you are free to reconstruct a whole new way of thinking.
But the key is to identify the voice.
Every time you do this, every time you confront the thoughts that enter your mind, you allow for God’s voice to increase – giving it greater volume in your life – and you diminish all other voices that have been feeding you lies: your friends, your family, your insecurities, the enemy, cultural standards, societal pressure, etc.
Eventually, over time, through steadfast determination to tune your life into His voice, you will grow deeper in your understanding of How He speaks to you and how He leads your life.
