Hearing God's voice

People often tell me that I have this “special” gift to hear God speak to me, or to know His will for me. I honestly don’t think this is the case. Yes, being able to discern God’s will or hear him speak is a gift of his grace on me, but that’s about it… I believe that we all can do it. Here is a practical example of how we can hear God’s voice in our daily lives. The Word of God says that “the earth and everything in it, is God’s”, the story of Genesis confirms that God created everything, therefore why wouldn’t God use his creation to communicate his love to us? Everything around us is his, isn’t it?

Last night, I finally decided to leave a college leadership team of which I was a part of. I have been feeling hurt by the church for a while, as I learned that it is hard to grow as a leader in a church if you are a woman, no matter your credentials, gifting, experience or potential. When I finally wrote the email to the team explaining them my decision to leave, I felt this great sense of freedom. Don’t get me wrong my heart was broken that I could not do what I am passionate about doing, because I was a woman and that automatically limited my progress… but there was more to it. I was free, so I told God that I still love him and want him to lead me toward the green pastures where I can play with him for a while.

The next morning my heart was full of joy! I mean real joy! I was celebrating my time with God and that freedom that came with it! Then I went to work and a friend begins to talk to me. He told me a story of a very important person in town, who’s life was set free by Jesus Christ. This man’s heart was broken as his daughter’s school did not have a specific outreach ministry, through which he was reached when he was a kid. So he proposed that they would find and full time support a person to organize and lead the ministry. The story telling man, looked at me and said, “perhaps this could be you”. I had few thoughts going through my head, as I did not want to leave the green pastures! But as my heart reflected upon that phrase, I began to hear God’s voice. It was not a voice saying: “Thus now, I will put you in a charge of ministry, where you can truly grow and fulfill thy will.” No, no! Rather it was God’s message to me saying that, He is watching over me, knows all of my needs and will get me where I need to be; sort of: “I am with you, good job!”. How cool and simple is this? How many times do we miss God’s voice because we tend to focus on our own desires and passions? You see everyone can hear God’s voice, because he speaks through people, angels and the Spirit which lives inside us. We need to have a willing heart to hear him and then we will realize that his voice surrounds us. Look at trees and see them speak to you about stillness, and strength of the Lord; notice how the trees and the grass and the birds worship the Lord by simply doing what he made them to do; and let the wind of the Holy Spirit move you gently as the wind outdoors moves the trees, to a melody played by the Heaven.

“The person who lives in the right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering inot what God does for you.” Galatians 3:11 [MRemix]

The living and transforming grace of the loving God.

1 John 4:7-13 / 18
7- “and he knows God”
8- “God is love”
11- responsibility
12- “not one has ever seen God, but…”
13- evidence of the spirit: ability to love
18- “perfect love throws out the fear, because fear punishes you..”

God is love. Love is a mystery. The ability to love is a miracle. God calls us to live out that miracle. It is in human beings that this miracle can be fulfilled, and this love comes alive in us. Human beings are a necessary part of creation that through relationships reveals this mystery of love and living God. But human beings tend to be very prideful, self-righteous and selfish and it is very hard to love people like that. Yesterday God opened my eyes, through a simple of act of story telling:

There is this girl who is about 22 years of age and she is dating this man, who is about 32 years of age. Now, their story of how they met is awesome; since the beginning her family and friends were involved in the process of the relationship. This man has two kids. One is eight years old and the other one about 2 years of age. This girl didn’t know this at first, and yet she chooses to love him through his imperfections. Grace of God is essential here, as one cannot remain in the situation like this, without God. God must be present in the relationship and one must focus on him for guidance and one must trust God. The two of them are still together, and I hear that they are very happy together and the family supports their relationship. Now, how can this be?

After I heard this story, I was in a ‘red zone’. I couldn’t understand, why a girl in my age would want such a relationship. So I went to the bathroom and had a quick chat with God, asking him for more insight into my wonder. As great of a God as he is, he answered me quickly! You see when I hear this story, I begin to think and focus on the issues: he is ‘old’, has kids, is she safe…etc. that is wrong. Realistic, but should not be the first thing that I see with my heart. By the time I was done with washing my hands, God showed me how able this girl was to love this man, beyond all of the issues! Instantly I began to be proud of her! The love of God, that mystery of the living grace is so powerful, that it can overcome the world! This truth is transforming my heart! To be honest, this truth crashes down my heart, allowing god to form a new heart… and that is good! This girl made a decision to love this man, even after seeing the messes in his life. You see, I am in her age, and as a girl in that age, I have this vision in my head of who the man of my life will be and how he will come to me. I expect this single, pretty, not married before, no kids-man to enter my life and be married happily ever after. Life does not always happen that way. I want a perfect package, but my other friend gets a package to which, ‘life happened’. You see, ‘life happens’ to all of us. My package will have ‘life happened’ to it, just like I have ‘life happened’ to me. There is no difference in how we call the stuff, as long as we are willing to allow God to change us, even if it means he needs to smash our heart. It is not about the stuff, but about the power of love, of the living God within us. I was reminded of another lesson, an hour after I heard the story:

Learn not to look at someone’s past for judgment of who they might be now, but
Only as a testimony to who they may become tomorrow, by the transforming power of the living grace of God.

Who knows, perhaps this man is a totally different person now. If not he will be, because once anyone comes in touch with the living God in us, they are affected by his presence and sooner or later they change. Only God can see ahead. This story showed me the weaknesses of human heart. I never have the courage to love, to take the risk and choose to love someone. I am waiting for that perfect package, when life can come at me in a very unexpected way. I have failed to love, to let God lead me, to trust him and to allow his grace to transform me and the other person. This story also showed me, the strength of God’s grace. He put strength in my heart to be able to take the risk and love another person, as he guides me through the process of a relationship. And that courage and love, will win in the end.

Love is a choice of the free will given to each one of us, by the loving God. It is beyond feelings or emotions, it is a decision made in the response to God’s will. His will for us is to love him and to love others. That is how he comes alive to us and in us. Simple, and yet difficult. We tend to miss this simplicity, by creating doctrines and liturgy. Love has no boundaries within religious limits; it overcomes them all!

Scripture says that “perfect love throws out fear, because fear punishes you…’makes you feel bad’..” I am afraid to love, because I see the ‘stuff’ and I fear the future consequences of them- I have this concept of punishment in my heart. yet, perfect love has no fear. Perfect means that something is completed; according to the scripture this happens when the spirit of God lives in you and when you believe in Jesus as the son of God and love God. This girl from the story must not be afraid, yes she needs to be realistic and careful, but no afraid to the degree that she fails to take the risk and love. This girl is free; transformed by the living grace of God.

Will the two of them get married? I don’t know, but I am most certain that there is a greater purpose for the two of them individually and for all who surround them in this relationship. Because the grace of God is all over in this, He provides strength, guidance, laughter, freedom and confidence in his power as they continue on living and trusting him. I am already affected by this story. Not because of them, but because of the living grace of God that is transforming my heart through this story. You see the Bible stories are not true today because we merely believe that they are true, but they are true because they continue to happen today. Not only happen but they speak to us, changing our hearts and lives. Thank God for that!