Voices. They are everywhere.
It’s the voice of your 7-month-old daughter as she practices her consonants saying “Mamamamama” while she clamors for you attention on the kitchen floor during supper preparation.
It’s the voice of your Beloved spouse saying he will/won’t be home tonight and needs you to please do this or that before that point.
It’s the voice of a friend who regales you with tales of her life as you smile and listen intently.
It’s the voice inside us that finds our flaws and tells us that the jeans are too tight or that she has prettier hair or a better marriage.
It’s the voice of the TV or radio advertisement saying “You will be happy when you have THIS.”
It’s the voice of Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest that makes you WANT what they have.
It’s the voice of the Enemy whispering you failed. You aren’t good enough. You shouldn’t even bother to try.
These voices cover the gamut of the good, the challenging, the encouraging and the downright disheartening.
But we are forgetting the voice that truly matters.
The voice of God.
God is always speaking to us– but if you are anything like me, you might not always listen. God isn’t a bully and He isn’t going to yell over these other things to get our attention. (Not very often, anyways.)
God’s words to us might be sweet, encouraging, challenging, enlightening or convicting. But ALL of His words are rooted in love.
See, that’s the difference between the voices of the world and the Enemy as opposed to God. Those other voice are not always sincere or coming from pure motives. But God’s are.
While the voices of the world can seem pretty loud sometimes, they typically aren’t bad news in themselves. However, I struggle most with recognizing then combating the voice of the Enemy.
And here’s how to tell a difference between Satan and God’s voice in our lives…
Satan brings on guilt… We feel like we failed, we are unworthy. God convicts, opening our heart to a mistake we made but provide an avenue of redemption.
Satan lies. God is truth.
Satan is sneaky. God is honest.
Satan will distract. God clarifies.
Satan brings chaos. God brings peace.
Satan destroys. God builds up.
Satan hates. God loves.
Satan kills. God gives life.
Listen for His Love…
I recently read a phrase that really spoke to my heart…
“Satan calls you by your sin and forgets your name… Christ forgets your sin and calls you by name.”
Dearest friends, those voices can be overwhelming. The confusion, anxiety, suffocation you feel– that is not how God intended for us to live our lives. He died a criminal’s death to give us speak. He speaks love into our lives daily… We just have to be willing to listen.
So all of you that have ears to hear… Let’s tune in and really listen to The One True Voice that matters.
Listening for His Love,
SGK
“Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” ~Mark 4:9
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