Whose Voice Do You Believe?

February 15, 2016

The Bible is rife with descriptions of who we are. Not who we might become. Not who we ought to be.

But who we are.

For example, we are beloved of the Father. We are joint heirs with Jesus. We are righteous in His sight. We have been sanctified and set apart for His purposes. We are the light of the world. The list goes on. What wonderful revelation!

However, who do we listen to?

Do we listen to the voice of the accuser? We know that voice—it is full of lies and condemnation. It continually tells us we aren’t good enough and will never be good enough. It says we are full of sin, we are junk, crud, and all manner of bad stuff. It says we are unworthy to bear the name of Christ, and certainly unworthy to enter His presence. Lies, all of it.

Yet we believe it all too often. We receive condemnation as our due. But scripture tells us that there is no longer any condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

Do we listen to our own voice? We know that voice, too. And we know, deep down, we often can’t trust it. Our own voices are too often controlled by our current emotions. When we feel bad about ourselves, we tell ourselves lies. Those lies are usually filled with negative comments, often things we’ve heard during our growing-up years. Those lies often are actually word curses, and we curse ourselves when we speak them out.

And when we feel good about ourselves, we tell ourselves lies, too. Oh, those lies can feel good, but they puff us up. They tell us we are great all by ourselves and negate the ongoing work of Christ in our lives. Sometimes they tell us we are extra-spiritual and righteous and that’s why we are blessed. Then pride can enter the picture. Oops! We know where that leads. (Proverbs 16:18)

Or do we choose to only listen to the voice of God? That is the sole Voice which only speaks the truth. We can argue all day long with Him, but still truth is spoken. He gives us the choice: will we accept the truth or reject it?

That choice isn’t always easy. It would be great if we only heard light and fluffy words, words that make us feel as though we haven’t a care in the world. But Jesus promised we would have suffering in this world and that we should take heart because He has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Does that sound fluffy? Nope.

Is it truth? Yes. He will never lie to us. (Numbers 23:19)

Scripture declares that “My sheep know My voice, and another they will not follow”. (John 10:27)

How well do we know His voice? How can we improve our knowledge?

By listening. By seeking Him. By getting to know Him better. By learning to trust Him more.

By concentrating on hearing and heeding His voice and not the voices of anyone else.