Untangling the Voices

We are bombarded by a steady stream of advice—over social media, the internet, television, radio, and from friends or even strangers. How can we untangle the messages and voices worth listening to from those that aren’t?

I once attended a Bible conference during which a woman opened the lid of the grand piano, exposing the strings and hammers beneath it. Then she sang a single note while holding a microphone close to the strings inside the instrument. When her voice faded away, we could all hear that a string was still vibrating in response to her note. She sang a C, and the string for that key on the piano hummed in agreement with her.

That’s resonance.

The Holy Spirit works the same way with us. When we are in tune with him—by spending consistent time in the Word and in prayer—words we hear from others that resonate with us can probably be trusted. But if advice or messages we receive don’t resonate with what we know to be true, we can discern that they are not in line with what God wants for us.

Thankfully, our Good Shepherd will never steer us wrong. Reading God’s Word will help us discern whether the leading we sense is consistent with the whole character of God. And, of course, we express ourselves to God in prayer. But here is a critical aspect of prayer: We also have to listen. This usually means allowing time before making decisions. The more we read, pray, and listen, the easier it will become to recognize his voice and understand how he wants us to order not only our lives, but also our days.

Jocelyn Green is the author of Free to Lean: Making Peace with Your Lopsided Life. Find her at JocelynGreen.com. Adapted from Free to Lean, © 2017 by Jocelyn Green. Used by permission of Discovery House Publishers, Box 3566, Grand Rapids, MI 49501. All rights reserved. www.dhp.org.