April 20, 2024

"Are We Hearing God or Ourselves?"

One Sunday as I was turning on and testing the sound equipment in preparation for our worship service, I discovered that something didn’t sound right. Upon closer examination I found that the main speakers didn’t appear to be working. After not seeing any obvious cause for this issue, we resorted to a temporary back-up plan. Due to the small size of our sanctuary, we were able to make some adjustments in order to be able to adequately function that day until we got someone there to check out the problem. We simply turned up the volume of the stage monitors - the speakers pointing back to the platform so that those who are speaking or singing can hear themselves. We cranked those smaller speakers up enough that the congregation could hear what was coming through those devices, even though they were pointing in the opposite direction.

We seem to be doing something similar in our society today. Much has been said about how we are tending to gravitate more and more to merely hearing our own voices or listening only to those in the news media or on social media who agree with our points of view. In a sense we have turned off the other speakers and are only listening to the stage monitors as they sound forth some version of our own words and thoughts. We tend to be unwilling to hear the other side, to consider that some of our opinions could be wrong, and to look at matters from a different angle.

While that can be unhealthy in some ways, in certain situations it can be understandable and even commendable. When it comes to truth, we shouldn’t compromise, nor should we give a listening ear to deceptive doctrines. And it is natural to connect with those who are likeminded to us. We need that encouragement and support from others, especially when more people are turning away from those truths and we often feel like a growing minority.

However, I believe we have to be careful about letting this tendency to hear only our own voices carry over into our communications with the Lord. Are we really hearing the voice of God or are we merely hearing our own thoughts and views being projected back to us? Are we open to hearing the fullness of divine truth, or are we letting our views based on personal preferences, traditions, and other factors severely taint that message? All of us need to be careful that we seek to hear the unadulterated word of God, not simply some twisted version that meets with our approval.

How can we be certain whether we are truly hearing God’s voice or merely our own words being reflected back to us? Hopefully, as we mature spiritually, we can better discern the difference between our own inner voice and the voice of the Holy Spirit. Also, the content of the message should clue us in as to whether or not it is in harmony with God’s character of love, truth, holiness, grace, and justice. However, the greatest aid in this quest to hear God’s voice is the fact that we have been given a more objective means of communication – the written word of God. Our personal feelings and thoughts may not always be reliable. We have to compare them to what God clearly says in the scriptures. Even then, we need to guard against interpreting those scriptures through our own lens in order to try to make it fit our viewpoint or lifestyle. We need to conform to God’s Word, not try to shape it to fit us or our ideas.

Let’s make sure we are listening to the main speaker declaring the word of the Lord and not just listening to ourselves.