Hearing God: Heart Condition

Learning to recognize the voice of God speaking to me takes practice, but it really isn’t rocket science. As I learn to pay attention to the ways that God brings things to my awareness through His word, my thoughts and circumstances I become more in tune with just how active God is in communicating with me on a regular basis. How awesome that the God of the universe takes time to speak to me!

I have become aware of the Holy Spirit speaking through ideas that I recognize as not being part of my normal train of thought. If you are like me, you may find yourself trying to rationalize what you are hearing. How can I be sure that is God? What if that is just my own self speaking and masquerading as the Holy Spirit? What if it isn’t God at all and I act on it? I have learned that the best way to evaluate these thoughts is to consider: What’s my heart condition in this case? Hard question. 

At the core of obeying God is not the perfection of the task, but the perfecting of my heart. Yes, God wants you and me to obey when He speaks, but we tend to think of obedience as simply an action. The action becomes obedience when it is the outworking of an inward desire to please God above all else. This is the really tricky part. In our performance-oriented, productivity-driven society we run the risk of making obedience an item to check off on our task list. But obedience is less about what we do and more about why we do it. 

Is my heart purely pointed toward loving God by loving others? Only the Holy Spirit can make that clear to me. You and I are not capable of discerning our own motivations objectively. I may think that my motivation is purely to please God, but if I allow Him, the Holy Spirit might make me aware that the desire to please others may take a higher priority than I like to think. Or maybe I’ve convinced myself that I want to please God, but find that pleasing myself is really at the root of an idea. I have had those moments with God as I bring a situation before Him. Ouch!

Obedience is a heart condition more than it is an objective to be accomplished. Part of learning to hear God is learning to recognize when the Holy Spirt wants to reveal ourselves to ourselves. How incredibly wonderful that the God who knows you and me intimately cares enough to point out the attitudes that need to change so that our objective can truly be God’s glory above all else! 

Key Thought: Obedience is a heart condition more than it is an objective to be accomplished. 

A Scripture to Consider: 

God, see what is in my heart. Know what is there. Test me. Know what I’m thinking. See if there’s anything in my life you don’t like. Help me live in the way that is always right.  Psalm 139: 23-24 NIRV

A YES Challenge: Take some time, and some courage, to bring your heart before the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, You know me better than I know myself. I really do want to obey You with pure motivation, but it is hard for me to discern myself. I ask You to help me know myself better. Show me what I need to see so that I can allow You to transform me into the person You desire me to be. I love you, Lord. Amen. 

Hearing God: The Voice of the Holy Spirit

When God speaks I want to listen. I am remembering to keep the main mission in focus, paying attention to the thoughts that won't go away, looking for Him to highlight verses as I read the Word and listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit. But how do I recognize the Holy Spirit speaking to me?

The Holy Spirit superintended the writing of God's Word and holds the "holy highlighter", but He is also the still, small voice that speaks the thoughts that won't go away. He whispers ideas and reminds us of what God's Word says. Another reason to make sure that I am in the Word regularly: I give the Holy Spirit something to work with when He wants to speak to me. But how does that work and how do I know? It takes practice to know the difference between the Holy Spirit and my own thoughts and emotions. Not one of us is going to get it right every time. Only Jesus had 100% accuracy. Then how can we be sure?

First, be aware of the Word coming to your mind. Often the Holy Spirit will remind us of the Scriptures we have read or studied when we need them most. The Holy Spirit might speak through our pastor's voice in our heads speaking something from a recent message that applies to our current situation. Or you may notice the same verse appearing several times in different places over a short period of time. Pay attention to those kinds of things, but if it isn't clear what God might be saying, then ask Him to show you. It is the Holy Spirit's job to enlighten you and me and make God's Word clear. The Holy Spirit is resourceful. He will use whatever we have already put into ourselves to help us hear God's voice. 

It's also helpful to evaluate if circumstances are supporting what you believe the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. There are times when what we think God may be saying to us doesn't seem to make sense. That's when we need to assess it from more than one angle. If it doesn't make sense, but I see it in His Word and it's come up several times in different ways, do circumstances do seem to be pointing in that direction? If circumstances seem to line up with the other indicators then there is another test: Do those whose opinion I trust agree?

It can be hard to ask others what they think about what you believe God may be saying to you. There is always a chance that they will disagree or point you in a different direction, but that is all the more reason why it helps to run it by someone else. As I said before, emotions can sometimes masquerade as the Holy Spirit and emotions can cloud our ability to hear God clearly. In situations where  emotions run high we need the benefit of clear and impartial spiritual input from people we trust.  

I was once offered a prestigious volunteer opportunity that I really wanted to take. I felt good about being asked and I knew that it would be a place of positive influence in an area that I am passionate about. But when I asked my husband if he thought this might be God speaking to me, he was concerned about the amount of time it would take and the stress it would put on me. Since it was an area of ministry outside the church and I was serving as a pastor, he suggested that he would be okay with it if our lead pastor would allow me to use church time to work on this volunteer position. While I waited for an answer from my pastor I found myself in a counseling situation where I was encouraging someone else not to overload their schedule and realized that the Holy Spirit was nudging me with the words I was speaking. He also reminded me that earlier that morning our staff devotion was along similar lines, and, oh by the way, so had some recent my personal devotions. By the time I heard that my pastor had no problem with me taking the position but considered it outside my work responsibilities, it was merely a confirmation of what I knew God was saying...but I really wanted to do it!

I turned the position down and shortly after that, our lives began to take a major shift. I was so grateful that I had obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit and passed on that position. There was no way that I could have maintained it with all that was happening in our lives. God knew in advance what I did not. 

And that is true for you, too, my friend. God knows in advance what you need to know and will go to great lengths to make sure that you can hear His voice. He wants to speak to you. He wants you to know Him and His will. Most of all He just wants you to know that He loves you. When He makes Himself as clear in your life as He did with that volunteer position for me it is like He is sending you a Valentine with the words "I LOVE YOU!" emblazoned on the front. 

 

 

Key Thought: The Holy Spirit will speak through more than one method to make sure that we clearly hear His voice.

A Scripture to Consider: 

^"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future  He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me." John 16:13-14 NLT

A YES Challenge: What might the Holy Spirit be speaking to you? Ask a trusted spiritual confidant for their feedback.

Prayer: 

Lord, help me to really believe that You want to speak to me. Make me more aware of the ways that You already are speaking to me and help me to recognize the confirmations. Give me the courage to ask those whom I trust for advice. Use them to make Your will clear to me, even if it contradicts what I really want to do. What I want most is to know You better and receive Your love for me. Amen. 

Hearing God: The Holy Highlighter

Our God is a God who speaks! He spoke creation into being. He spoke through Jesus Christ. He continues to speak through His Word and His Spirit. He speaks to all and He speaks to individuals. He is speaking to you. Are you hearing Him?

As you are seeking to say YES to God, you are seeking to hear His voice. You are remembering that the larger mission of salvation is at the heart of all that He speaks. You are noticing the thoughts that don't go away and you are reading His word for illustrations and instructions regarding how He wants His people to live, but you are also trying to discern what He may be speaking to you specifically.  How do I recognize when God is speaking directly to me through His Word?

One key to recognizing God speaking to you directly through His Word is to approach your reading time with an open heart. A brief prayer before you begin can set your heart in the right direction. As you read, look for what someone has called a "holy highlighter." It's as if God has pulled out a highlighter and said "Here! Make sure you pay attention to this verse!"

If a verse jumps off the page as you read, ask God to make clear what He might be saying to you and what He wants you to do with it. 

In 2005, my two older kids were preparing to go on a mission trip to Slovakia. I was nervous. Not about their safety as much as how they might behave. Don't get me wrong. My kids were good kids, but honestly, no kids are perfectly mature, and I was concerned that their lack of maturity would show. Really? I guess I had unrealistic expectations for them, but God understood me and I prayed over the situation constantly. As I was doing my regular Bible reading one day I saw the "holy highlighter" on this verse. "All your children will be taught by the Lord and they will enjoy great peace." (Isaiah 54:13) It was as if God was saying to me, "Don't worry. I've got this." But I knew that He wasn't just speaking to me about the trip. He was encouraging me not to worry about my kids. He would take care of them and teach them His ways. God understood that my real concern for them was that they would know Him and honor Him. He used that trip and that verse to let me know that His concern for them is greater than mine and He will teach them all they need in order to lead them in His paths.

What concerns you at this moment? What questions do you have for God? Ask Him to speak to you through His Word. Let me encourage you to be in the Word regularly. When you are you are positioning yourself to hear from God as He speaks to you through His living Word. 

Key thought: God wants to speak to me through His Word.

 

A Scripture to Consider:

"You are my portion, Lord; I have promised to obey your words." Psalm 119:57

A YES Challenge: If you are not regularly in God's Word, then ask someone you trust to hold you accountable and help you find a Bible reading plan. Be sure to begin your reading time with prayer and look for God's "holy highlighter"!

Prayer: 

Father God, help me to recognize Your voice as I read Your Word. Holy Spirit, guide me into the truth God has spoken to all of humanity through the Word and help me discern what I need to apply in my life today. Lord, help me to honor You by obeying Your Word. Amen.

Hearing God: The Thought That Won't Go Away

I want to be a woman who says YES to God. I want to know what He is saying, to listen and obey. So, how do I know what God is saying to me? How do I recognize His voice in the midst of all the other noises that are going on around me? 

One way I've learned to recognize God's voice is in the thought that won't go away. The nagging sense that this is something that I'm supposed to do. 

Back in 2004 my older daughter was graduating from the 8th grade. I had worked at her school the previous year part time as a lunch monitor, but had prayed for a job at the elementary school for the next year. Thankfully, God answered YES to that prayer! Before I left to go to the elementary school, the middle school librarian had invited me to apply for a full time job there, but I had turned her down. Now, as we were leaving the 8th grade graduation she casually called out after me "Are you sure you don't want to work here?" I laughed and had no intention of doing anything about it, but throughout the summer I could not stop thinking about it. I came to the conclusion that God did, indeed, want me to pursue that position. So, I looked up the librarian's home number and that September I started an almost 10 year sojourn in the middle school library. 

It was a similar experience as I recognized God's call to ministry. I couldn't get away from it. As I presented God with every reason why taking the classes and pursuing credentials didn't make sense, I couldn't get away from the inner push that this was something I was called to do and that if I didn't pursue this I would be disobeying Him. So I continued the process having no idea what God would do with my obedience. 

I have been serving as a pastor now since 2013. I still don't know all that God has for my future, but I know that having ministry credentials is part of what will open up the path before me. 

What about you? What is the thought that won't go away? The one that gives you an inner sense that you will be disobeying God if you don't at least try. I can't guarantee that all your questions will go away if you begin to act on that thought, but I can guarantee that not following the inner nudge will never resolve anything. You will be followed by one big question: WHAT IF? That is a question that can never be answered. 

I've heard it said that sometimes we have to step over our questions in order to step out and obey God. There's only one thing I can say to that: DO IT!

 

Key Thought: Sometimes God speaks through a thought that won't go away. 

A Scripture to consider:

"You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!" Psalm 139: 5-6 NLT

A YES challenge: What might God be speaking to you through a thought that won't go away?

Prayer:

Father, I really do think I am hearing You through that thought that won't go away, but I'm just not sure. I guess I will have to step out, step over my questions and start walking in that direction. You know that my desire is to obey You. As I begin to take those steps, please make Your will clear. I know that not all my questions will be answered, but I don't want the big WHAT IF? question to follow me for the rest of my life. I commit myself to You. My life is in Your hands and Your hands are big enough to take care of me. Amen. 

Hearing God: Keep The True Mission In Focus

Hearing God's voice is a key aspect in saying YES to Him, but how do I know when I am hearing Him? How can I learn to recognize God's voice? 

God speaks in a number of ways, but the primary way that God speaks to His people is through His Word. Anything that you think you are hearing from God MUST line up with His Word. The Word of God outlines how God wants His people to behave, how to treat others and what it looks like to love God by loving others, in a multitude of vibrant illustrations and instructions. It also provides some graphic presentations of what it looks like when people don't live according to His guidelines. The more I read and study God's Word, the more I see how completely practical it is and how relevant it remains to modern daily life. 

As I read the Bible it helps to keep in mind that the Word of God is one story from beginning to end,  and that, ultimately, God is the major character in that one story. In it's pages the Bible tells a love story, the story of God pursuing a restored relationship with humanity. It makes clear that God's primary purpose for all people is salvation, a restored relationship with Him. That covers every area of human life - spiritual, emotional, physical and material. It's both an instant and a progressive restoration. Once we begin to experience that restoration in our own lives, God's Word makes it clear that our main mission is to bring others into that restoration process. 

As we seek to say YES to God it helps to keep the broader mission in focus. God's unique mission for me or you is always going to be part of the bigger mission. No exceptions. Whatever God calls you or me to do is going to trace back to salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ. Keeping that in mind can go a long way toward helping us to discern His voice. 

If God calls me to a public platform, then the ultimate purpose of that platform is to bring people further along in their restoration journey with God. It isn't for me to make money or have notoriety. It is not for my benefit, but so that God can be glorified through me. 

If God keeps me in a quiet place, maybe at home with small children or a loved one with a disability or an elderly relative, it isn't because He is punishing me or preventing me from fulfilling some great purpose. My mission then remains the same: to help those in my sphere of influence to move further along on their journey with God so that He will be glorified through me.  That is the greatest purpose there is!

Where are you at on your restoration journey with God? Have you been allowing God to continue the restoration process in your life? Then you have something to share with the people in your sphere of influence. The beginning of hearing God and fulfilling your unique mission on the earth is to keep the broader mission in focus as you go about your day to day interactions with people. As you make choices to live according to God's Word, look for ways that God may be calling you to guide the people in your life closer to Him through your example. When you do that you are saying YES to God in a BIG way.

 

 

Key thought: God's unique mission for me will always trace back to the larger mission of salvation.

A Scripture to Consider:   

"Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change." 2 Peter 3:8-9 MSG

A YES Challenge: How might God want to use you in your current sphere of influence to draw people closer to Him?

Prayer: 

God, I really want You to use me. Help me to remember that Your mission is always to draw people into a restored relationship with You. Show me how You want to use me in my current sphere of influence.  Help me not to miss the opportunity around me by looking for something bigger or somewhere else. Help me to keep the larger mission in focus as I seek You for the unique mission You have called me to. Amen. 

Break Up With Busyness

You run out of work, pick up the kids from school, stop at the store to grab some milk and a few other items that your family can't do without, then drive home as fast as you can while stuck behind a late school bus dropping off students. You keep checking your watch trying to calculate how much time you will actually have by the time you get home. Will it be enough to make dinner, help the kids with their homework, get them ready for bed and still have time to finish your prep work for the Bible study tonight? And will your husband actually be home for dinner and ready to take over the homework and bedtime duties?

When did life become so complicated? We are all scurrying from one activity to another, doing our best to somehow keep God in focus. Maybe you are not in the kids and school phase of life, but you find your life just as tornadic. You long for a sense of tranquility and question whether all your activity is really accomplishing anything. "Lord, where are You in all of this? Am I missing something?"

There came a point in our lives where it seemed like we were ruled by our commitments and obligations rather than by the mission and purpose found in pursuing God's plan for us. Tom and I knew that there was only one answer. We had to "jump off the train." Our obligations were not leading us in the direction we wanted to go, not leading us closer to God, in fact, crowding Him out. The only way to regain serenity and sanity enough to get a sense of what He was saying was to "jump off the train", to break up with busyness and let our lives slow down enough to reconnect. 

It took a while, but we were able to slow our lives down to a manageable pace and rediscover what it meant to spend time with each other and with God.

We don't always maintain that slower pace perfectly, but we will never allow the blur of the speeding engine to dictate our pace again. We work at intentionally slowing down, protecting days off and adding margin to our schedule. It isn't easy and we often fail miserably, but we recognize that God has created humans to live in a rhythm of work and rest and we honor Him when we try to live within the limits He has given us.

Key thought: I must be intentional about slowing my life down to a manageable pace.

A Scripture to consider:

God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work. Genesis 2:3 CEV

A YES challenge: What do you need to do in order to break up with busyness?

Prayer: 
Lord, I don't know when I lost touch with You in the busyness of life. I am doing "God" things, but I can't say that I am really experiencing You when I do them. Help me to learn how to stop, rest my body and my mind, and find a fresh connection with You. Thank you for helping me in my busyness, but help me to stop being simply busy so that I can become busy doing what pleases You most. Amen. 

Sometimes Saying YES Means Saying No

Remember all those dreams you had when you were younger? What happened to all of them? Maybe you've fulfilled some of them. Maybe you had to let some of them go. Does that mean that you aren't on the right path?

When I was a single young lady I had a lot of ideas about the things I wanted to do and places I wanted to go. But then, there was my friend, Tom. As I became aware that Tom and I were becoming more than friends, maybe even headed toward marriage, I wasn't sure that was what I wanted if it meant giving up my plans. I found myself on a long walk trying to hash this out with God. In the midst of my struggling with Him a Scripture came to my mind: "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places." "Boundaries" and "pleasant"don't seem to belong in the same sentence! Yet I understood that even though saying "Yes" to marrying Tom meant saying "No" to my own dreams and plans, the limits that 'Yes" imposed on me were part of God's plan for my good. Thirty years later, I don't regret that "Yes".

There is no way of getting around it. Saying "YES" to God means there are things that we are going to have to say "No" to. But the boundary lines God places us within lead us to freedom and fulfillment.

Key Thought: God's boundaries for me are good boundaries.

A Scripture to Consider: 

"The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." Psalms 16:6 NIV

A YES Challenge: What might God be calling you to say "No" to as a result of saying "YES" to Him?

Prayer:
Lord, there are some things that I really want to do, but I know that they aren't in Your plans for me. Help me to accept that the boundaries that You place in my life are actually boundaries I can rejoice in because they lead me to the place of freedom and fulfillment that You have for me. I will choose to say "No" because my YES to You is more important than anything else. Amen.

Limitless

One of my favorite places is the beach. I love to stand on the sand with the expanse of the ocean in front of me, miles of blue over my head and a long stretch of sand as far as my eyes can see to either side of me.  Can you see it? Ahhhh!

I knew I loved the beach, but it was a time of extreme difficulty that helped me understand why. Pressures overwhelmed me as a loved one struggled through an unrelenting period of inner darkness. Powerless to change anything, I did my best not to succumb to the tentacles of darkness reaching for me as well. I stumbled through each day, grateful to reach the pillow having survived another one, unsure of how many more I would have to face before we could see light again. And every day there was a growing longing for the beach and a settled awareness that we couldn't make the trip at this time. 

Finally, I asked God, "What is this? Why am I longing for the beach?"  And here is what He whispered back: "You feel safe on the beach." And I understood. The beach reminds me that my Father is big, unlimited, and I am safe within His hands. What I was longing for was that feeling of safety, not really the beach itself. Understanding that helped me to reach out to God for safety in that time of darkness, but I remember it every time God's unlimited bigness surrounds me on any beach. I feel safe on the beach.

Why does the limitlessness of God remind me that I am safe? Because, whether I like it or not, I am very aware of my own limits. And you are, too. Being reminded that God is big and limitless helps us to turn to Him when we feel weak and limited knowing that when we abandon ourselves to His love and care He can wrap us in His arms of safety. 

Let your own limits lead you to lean on His limitlessness.

Key Thought: When I feel weak and limited, I will remember that God is big and limitless.

A Scripture to consider: 

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:11-12 NIV

A YES challenge: Where do you feel safe? What might you be looking to for safety instead of God?

Prayer:

God, I need You to wrap me in your limitless bigness right now. You know the situations that are overwhelming me. So often, I look for circumstances to make me feel safe on the outside instead of looking to You to make me feel safe on the inside. I say YES to my limits. I can't change what is happening right now, so I am asking You to change me in the middle of it. Amen.  

Learning Forward

I never really thought of myself as a leader. Never. Even when I was in a leadership position I didn't think of myself as a leader. My first forays into the leadership realm came early on, even as early as high school. So, how does one lead when you don't see yourself as a leader? With a lot of second-guessing, apologizing for making a decision at all and steering decisions toward avoiding conflict. At least, that was my experience. I hope that doesn't sound familiar.

In college I was elected president of the musical theater club. How did that happen? People knew who I was because I had lead roles in musicals. A lead role does not qualify one to lead a club, but no one thinks about those things in college. My pride loved the fact that I had been elected, but after that I had no clue what to do and asking someone for help never occurred to me, so I hobbled through the year. I remember a conflict with one member of the club. I can't even remember what it was about, but I remember how I felt. I squirmed in my chair and couldn't wait for her to leave the room and for the whole thing to be done. When she did leave the room, she made sure to emphasize her displeasure by crushing her cigarette under her shoe as she left. I felt like a failure.

Why are experiences like that important? Because they reveal weaknesses. If that doesn't encourage you yet, let me put it this way: God will use those experiences to show us what we need to learn and then He will provide ways for us to grow in those areas. In the case of my musical theater club fiasco, the fact that I did not yet know HOW to lead a group did not mean that God had not called me to leadership. It simply meant that I had a lot to learn. A LOT to learn!

I have traveled many miles since my musical theater club days. More than I'd like to admit. But when I look back to that experience I marvel at where God has brought me. Between then and now He not only helped me understand that I really am called to leadership, but has taught me, and continues to teach me, how to lead.

Don't let your inexperience and insecurity keep you from moving forward in God's call on your life. Say YES to the work He wants to do in you as your weak areas are revealed and rely on His strength to help you grow into His call.

Key Thought: God reveals my weak areas so He can help me grow.

A Scripture to Consider:  Psalm 119:73

"Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands."

A YES Challenge: As you take time to reflect on weak areas in your life, consider how God may be revealing them in order to help you grow.

Prayer:
Lord, I sure don't like to take time to think about my weak areas. It's a lot more fun to think about my strengths. Help me to recognize weak areas as an opportunity for growth. Guide me forward in Your purposes for me. I want to say YES even when I feel awkward or insecure. As long as I know that You are calling me forward, I will go. Amen.

Know Yourself

Let me ask you a serious question. How well do you know yourself? I mean, really, if someone asked you to name your top three strengths and weaknesses, could you do it? How long would it take? Have you ever thought about it before? So, I would bet that now you might be asking me a question: Why is that even important?

You were created with a unique mission and purpose. God knew exactly what He had planned you for before you even drew your first breath. He programmed you for that mission. Your gifts and talents, strengths and weaknesses are all part of the programming. If you don't take the time to discover yourself, to understand your programming, you will be randomly committing to a variety of tasks that may actually draw you further away from fulfilling your unique mission.

Knowing yourself defines the parameters of your unique mission: You will know what to say YES to and what to say NO to.

The coolest part is that this journey of self-discovery will take your whole life. There will always be something new to discover which means that your unique mission will continue to unfold.Your mission on the earth, the mission God has designed you for, is more about WHO you become than what you DO. Yes, there will be tasks to accomplish that line up with your "programming", but each task will add to the person God created You to be. You will understand Him better as you understand yourself better. Every discovery will take you closer to Him and the closer you are to Him, the more you will reflect His character. That's the mission of every believer. It's a pretty cool mission!

Key thought: Knowing yourself is part of discovering your unique mission.

A Scripture to consider: Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;"

A YES challenge: Take some time and ask God to help you list your strengths and weaknesses. Look for clues that will help uncover your unique mission.

Prayer: Lord, I really want to know what You've created me for. I hadn't really considered that part of knowing what You've called me to is to know myself. Help me take the time to reflect. Guide my reflection by Your Holy Spirit. Reveal to me the unique combination of strengths and weaknesses that point the way to the unique mission You have for me. I want to say YES to all that You have for me. Thank you for guiding me on this journey of self-discovery. Amen