Before or after you read this, listen to the song Voice of God by Dante Bowe.
The most important part of my life is the voice of God. I would love to say I’ve always obeyed the voice of God, after all, wouldn’t that make me wise?
Now, I have vehemently disobeyed at times, and other times I got confused because I was listening to the wrong influences, which of course can point to Satan’s deepest desire to separate me (us) from God (John 10:10).
Be honest, have you ever been a FOOL? Okay, I’m with the host of witnesses testifying to the glory of God now upon their lives ☺️. We do overcome! (Revelation 12:11).
I read Solomon’s words in Proverbs in the early days of my adult walk with God. They say reading is fundamental, though in the case of spiritual reformation, reading is a great initiator for transformation – though it is the leading of the Holy Spirit that creates opportunity to obey and surrender to the voice of God (John 14:26). And then you must choose and press repeat and repeat and repeat in listening to that still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12) each moment, every minute, every hour, each day, every week, every month, and every year of your life. Each conversation, each choice, every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14), every whisperer – it behooves you to pause and find the voice of God in matters of the heart and the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). It gets complicated.
Listening to the voice of God can seem straightforward and simple at a glance. I always say that life is simple, yet so complicated. As a part-time Christian therapist, I’m clear two things can be true at the same time. The voice of God is simple, clear, not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Yet the enemy comes to rob, kill, and destroy (John 10:10); we know he too has a voice in our Christian, highly sanctified, righteous lives. Therein lies the complication. If we fail to admit this truth, we leave ourselves, our children, and our communities prey to the voice of deceit, gossip, slander, misunderstanding, condemning, and paths that lead us away from the voice of God. For we must be gentle as doves and wise as serpents (Matthew 10:16).
Wisdom comes at a cost, my friend. It includes setting boundaries, being humbled, being misunderstood, not proving yourself against slander but rather staying meek (Matthew 5:5), not being accepted (John 15:18), letting go of pleasures (Hebrews 11:25), and loving those who are bluntly unkind because of their own brokenness (Luke 6:27).
“Well gee whiz, Martha, that sounds pretty rough and complicated.” Some fall at the cost of wisdom, fear of man (Proverbs 29:25), vain glory (Philippians 2:3), and small foxes of disobedience that slowly grow (Song of Solomon 2:15).
I’ve fallen, and I counsel many other Christians who have too. The fall might be repeating a story that was meant to be kept in confidence and prayer… did it edify, was it of good report? (Philippians 4:8). Or were you angry, seeking validation or acceptance, and found yourself gossiping? (Proverbs 16:28; James 1:26). There are many scriptures on gossip, yet I’ve been a witness to those who fall in this area repeatedly; after all, gossip is a “fancy” sin, aka it can actually appear as concern, a need to pray, or seem very sweet to the ears (2 Timothy 4:3–4). The fall could be any area of sin… may we find the voice of God and move toward His will as He renews our thoughts and decisions (Romans 12:2), break the grip of the enemy (James 4:7), and be painfully honest with ourselves about areas where we have allowed complications, generational curses (Exodus 34:7), behavior patterns, or trauma to make us miss the simple, quiet voice of God.
I would still love to say, “Yes, I’m amongst the wise women now.” However, I’d rather testify that I’m wiser, slower to act, I pause to seek God’s voice way more often and I have trusted wise counsel that offers prayer and guidance; though I still press toward the mark of a high calling (Philippians 3:14). I’m just saying my Jesus is quite phenomenal, magnificent, and found without sin (Hebrews 4:15)!!!
I love His leadership over my life; best boss, friend, comforter (John 14:16), father (Isaiah 64:8), teacher (John 13:13), lover (Song of Solomon 2:16), brother (Hebrews 2:11) I’ve ever had! His grace has been sufficient, let me tell you! (2 Corinthians 12:9).
If you need therapy to support patterns of your Christian walk that you recognize have you cycling through areas where you feel defeated or complicated, reach out to our Mental Health Ministry to connect to a Christian counselor (or check with your insurance benefits regarding mental health support). Or find support with the Care Ministry. At times, joining a group like WLDI, Tuesday Night Care, or Wednesday Night Alive can create that shift you need. Or step up to volunteer and connect with believers on the pursuit of God’s voice. You can find the community you need for every season of your life, as you use wisdom to allow God to help you choose what you need, not man (James 1:5).
My friends, you ain’t got to be no fool! For wisdom is available if you seek and obey the voice of God (Proverbs 1:7; James 1:22)! May you receive His peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7) when choosing His voice hurts in your human emotions. He knows and will speak a Word of encouragement (Isaiah 41:10) and send helpers along the way (Hebrews 1:14). Victory is yours, Proclaim His Truth! (1 Corinthians 15:57; John 8:32).
If you need help or support, please contact Care.
If you are looking for activities to meet others, check out our Events.
If you are looking for people to do life with, connect with our Groups.