THOUGHTS IN THE LORD’S DAY
“Living from victory to victory, or, crisis to crisis, the choice is yours!”
I get nervous around two kinds of people. Those who never hear from God and those who are always “hearing” from God. Never follow a leader who seldom hears from God but is constantly listening to everyone around him. Never follow a leader who is always hearing from God. However, seldom listens to those God has sent to help him.
It’s not only possible to hear God’s voice, it’s absolutely essential. Especially if you want to live a life with margins and not live from crisis to crisis. Given the pace and pressures of life, you can easily lose your sensitivity for His voice in the roar of so many other voices.
Fifteen times in the New Testament, Jesus said, “He that has an ear, let him hear” Matthew 11:15. There is no other more critical component in your life as a disciple than hearing the voice of God. Along with hearing God’s voice, you must have the confirmation of His leading through His Word. Both of these need coupled with the mature saints He brings alongside you.
Matthew 11:15 tells you three very important things. First, you are born into God’s family with spiritual ears. It’s your job to train them to hear God and the wisdom of mentors. Second, you must learn to use them to discern wisdom, not just to take in information. Third, hearing God’s voice and understanding His message must be your top priority.
New-born babies soon recognize their mother’s voice, but it takes time to understand the communication. Both require time and intimacy. Luke 24:45 says, “Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.” God is always speaking through Is Holy Spirit Who lives on the inside of us.
When you move from only seeking God’s voice in times of crisis to hearing His voice as a way of life, you will stop living a crisis-driven life and will start living a life filled with margins that only hearing from God can create.
From the very beginning of creation, rest was part of the plan. God didn’t rest because he was tired, he put a pattern of work and rest in place so that we would be able to thrive and live our lives with healthy margins in every area of life, spiritually, physically, emotionally, and financially.
God knew that our lives would be like a hamster on a treadmill. Without time off to rest, worship and study his Word we get caught up in a trap of ambitious self-sufficiency. That not only overwhelms us, it leaves no energy to create margins, the key to a sustainable life of peace and joy.
If you don’t create margins in your life on purpose, there will always be someone to keep you living on the edge.