#AskTheInstitute 004

Question: How do I know that it's God speaking and I'm not just listening to myself.

I was tempted to do a whole big post about this question but the answer is simple. Sometimes we look for security in a really long and complex answer in the same way as we look for security in what God is speaking to us in profound and complex ways. But the truth is, when we do that we are putting faith in the confirmation not the content. Y'all know full well that when you get a birthday card you care more about the content (hopefully some cash from Auntie and a sweet message) than the confirmation ( "To: You From: Auntie"). So why do we reverse this when it comes to spiritual things? So here it is. The simple answer.

1. My sheep know my voice

John 10:1-5 is a parable about an aspect of our relationship with God. It says that God is the shepherd and we are the sheep. In the story, he calls the sheep by name and the sheep follow Him. When a stranger or anyone else tries to call the sheep, not only do they not listen, but they turn and run away. The longer you are with the shepherd the easier it is to distinguish his voice. The big secret from this story is found in the relationship between the sheep and the shepherd. Every direction from God is a call to follow Him. Listening to anything else, including our own thoughts, is like telling God to come and follow you. It is God's voice if it is leading you to better, if it is building you up, if it is protecting you and if it is asking you to follow Him. Simple as that. Notice how the sheep automatically followed when they recognized the voice was God's. Hesitation and uncertainty are not hallmarks of Gods will. There is something inherent in the voice of God where if we feel uncertain we know its not from God. That's not to say that doubt isn't real or that God can't call us to do something that is out of our comfort zone. But the critical point is that even if the action is unfamiliar, the voice is familiar. How do you become familiar with the voice? Spend time in the Word.