Hearing God. Part 2: Listen

Well I’ve been rather transformed this week and it’s only the second week of six in this Hearing God course. 

In John 10:27 Jesus says his sheep know his voice and they follow him. I feel like I haven’t heard God this clearly since I was a teenager I certainly haven’t been this intentional to listening in a while so maybe it’s not about hearing maybe it's been about listening. 

To be clear I’m familiar with the voice of Jesus that wasn’t the voice that surprised me this week. 

As I said in part 1 I’ve been reading and now have finished a book by Steven Furtick called Crash The Chatterbox, (So good btw) well on Wednesday I heard a voice that I’m all to familiar with but didn’t really realize was there.

I’d been reading about how the difference between the Chatterbox and the Holy Spirit is condemnation verses correction. 

Well this was certainly not a corrective voice. 

I’ve been hearing this particular voice for years say things like “Well that was stupid” and “What kind of person does that?” Also things like “You call yourself a follower of Jesus, I can’t believe you just did that.” And a personal favorite name to call myself “IDIOT.”

Well for perhaps the first time ever I realized that voice had a name and I had a way to overcome it. 

The Chatterbox only has one function, to tear me down. Naming it took it out of the shadows pulled it into the light and for the first time I was able to tell my now named critic, The Chatterbox, where to shove it’s criticism.

It was liberating and it was transformational it was also a declaration of war. 

The first draft of this blog was being written on Friday night and all I’m hearing from that chattering box is “Almost no one is reading your blog so why are you wasting your time writing it? 

Well my answer for that was “Shut Up!” 

But the doubt remained. 

When I brought the very real doubt of why write a blog that no one may read the Holy Spirit reminded me who I am and what I’m about. 

Im reminded that I’m a writer, that’s why I’m writing it. 

I’m reminded that I’m to be a blessing so if 15 or 1500 people read the blog the ones who do are blessed from the effort and the message and that’s a good enough reason to write it. 

The thing I’m learning about in this Hearing God course and from the book Crash the Chatterbox is that there isn’t just a single voice out there talking to me, there are many, but the voice that I make the most room for will have the most influence over my thoughts and therefore in my life. 

The chatterbox can’t be destroyed but it can be overwhelmed. 

Through prayer and praise, (mostly listening to music) these last few days I’ve been crowding out the other voices it’s been an amazing three days but not easy ones. 

I’m looking forward to what God is going to show me this coming week. 

I’m Jason and this is life as I see it. 

Hearing God. Part 1: Pump up the Volume.

My wife Nicole and I started a course a week ago called Hearing God and honestly it’s been mind blowing. 

Previous to this I had been reading a book called Crash The Chatterbox by Steven Furtick, also mind blowing, it’s all about hearing Gods voice above all other voices internal and external. 

I gotta say between the book and the course I’ve been pretty much consumed this week and have really not spent anytime working on what I planned as this weeks blog so what the heck I thought I’ll share some of what I’ve learned this week. 

Like many people, I’m sure, I haven’t a clue what I’m supposed to do with my life and feel often like crap because of it. If your in the same boat wave or something feels like I’m on my own out here. 

I was convinced that reading this book and taking this course would clarify some things. 

Well It is NOT what I heard when this week started. 

(furrows brow in frustration) 

I heard what I needed to know. 

I heard about how God sees me and how he loves who I am and how he wants to be my friend. 

I heard how I make him proud and we dug into some pretty old hurts and got into the thick of some long time lies I’ve been telling myself and living out of but didn’t know it. 

Here’s one that I have had to deal with this week. 

“Every one in my life eventually leaves because I’m not worth them sticking it out long term for.”

Umm what?  I believe that? That’s just not true. 

That lie originated when I was a kid when it felt true and guess what, it’s been in the back of my head it’s been sitting there poisoning new and potentially long term relationships because of something that happened almost 30 years ago.  

It’s funny not funny how things we thought were true at one point can become a belief that directs our lives. 

A funny story about how that happens. 

When I was a kid my family went on a trip and we stopped at this place and they had a couple of dogs who were, a bit unfriendly I think my older brother would say, not my feelings about them. 

I don’t know how it happened but I was out in the yard of this place and the two dogs came around the house at me and my brothers maybe I don't know who was there it was just me and the dogs in my memory. 

Well I took off like a scared rabbit away from them and the vehicle that would have probably provided sanctuary from the hell hounds as I remembered them to be. 

I sprinted toward a new construction site and along the way found a pit maybe 6 feet deep with some water in it and in my terror I jumped right in only to see the two dogs at the opening barking down at me. 

Here’s where it gets funny. 

The big dog of the two was a cocker spaniel. Yup the hell hound who ran me down was a relatively small dog. I only know what kind of dog it was because my older brother told me years later when he was making fun of me. But even as an adult being told this story I didn’t see a small dog to me it was the Hound of the Baskervilles, a hell hound, a demon dog, nope it was a cocker spaniel. 

All that to say if I’m gonna move on in life I have to confront the lies I tell myself and uncover them for what they are or I will always be the kid scared of some thing I may laugh at if it were to happen now. 

I’m doing just that by learning to hear Gods voice above all others especially my own because for a big part of my life I was a scared kid and that’s a terrible voice to listen to. 

So here the challenge:

If you know Jesus but don’t know his voice and want to 

Or 

You don’t know Jesus and want to hear his voice. 

Please reach out I’d love to share why I think his voice is real and worth listening to. 

As always,

I’m Jason and this is life as I see it. 

Until next time. 

Not perfect just consistent.

 

While reading a book by Jim Stovall a month or so ago I read a game changing statement. 

“I don’t need it to be perfect I need it by Thursday.” 

This was in reference to Jim’s newpaper colum submission the editor was asking for consistency not perfection. 

Every week I don’t post I’m getting trapped in this idea that what I’m writing needs to be perfect before I hit “post” that is bullshit.

(I don’t like to commit swear words to paper because it’s immortal but that’s the highest deepest expression I can think of to describe the lie of perfection before action.) 

 

I don’t know about you but the idea that I can’t make a move till I’ve got it all set is as crazy as saying I can’t go to the store till all the lights are green.

No one operates like that in driving we just adjust as we go but when it comes to many parts of our lives we are scared that adversity is a sign to say we shouldn’t go ahead.

Well at least that’s true for me. 

Having a clear path isn’t the same as having a clear destination. 

I wish sometimes that it were but at the same time the adversity thus far has caused the development I’ve had. 

I heard that to build muscle you actually have to tear the existing muscle and the repair builds the muscle stronger well if that’s true then it makes sense why it’s so darn hard to get stronger in anything. 

I like the idea I heard about how Michelangelo created his masterpiece the David. The story goes that he said he was just releasing what was already in the stone all he did was chip away everything that wasn’t needed.

That’s me I’m this amazing creation, and so are you by the way, but Gods gotta chip or chisel away everything that is keeping that masterpiece from being fully revealed I think he uses life as his tools for perfecting. 

It’s also true that I have a David like body in there somewhere waiting for me to chip and chisel it out with some consistent activity, but I digress...

There is a Hebrew proverb recorded in the Bible that says “As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.” 

This is the story of my life people are the reason I am who I am the people I hang with either push me to become better and become better themselves or we just forget the whole thing and keep six feet apart perhaps wear masks too for good measure. 

As I said about waiting for green lights or perfect paragraphs if I wait till every thing is perfect to start living my best life I we will be waiting forever because it’s in the mixing with others and with hardship that things chipped and rubbed and polished. 

If you are struggling with anything remember that the struggle means there is growth happening it’s not always going to be easy but it’s worth it just ask Michelangelo and he’ll tell you what chipping, chiseling and polishing did. When a master is at work you can trust that the process is necessary for the final outcome. 

Be a person who isn’t afraid to rub up against adversity and isn’t afraid to go into the uncertain places because I’ve been learning that it’s in the places that aren’t comfortable that the best stuff happens. 

Personally the road of adversity brought about a restoration to my family that no one but God dreamed of, but that’s another story for another time. 

Today get going even if the road ahead is filled with uncertainty because the ride is worth it. 

I’m Jason and this is life as I see it. 

See you in two weeks.