 |
| emilymphotography.wordpress.com |
I remember a friend once told me that the Lord had spoken to her about her husband. He had specifically told her who he was and she was supposed to be at alert and ready, or so.
Another friend also told me at some time that the Lord had told her the names of her husband. She mentioned his first middle and last names. She must have got it in a revelation or dream, or so.
I used to get confused about hearing from God. How do you hear? The audible ‘still small’ voice? The impression in your heart? A word from another person who may serve as a channel? A specific bible verse?
I believe God is not limited in his dealings with his children. He can decide to speak to you in any way form or manner, the problem is usually our fluttering hearts.
But what has me thinking now are the ‘voices’ we hear. How do we know for sure what we have heard is from God and not some random musings and thoughts in our anxious hearts?
Imagine all the issues you have to face everyday. Your career, family, marriage, children, cars, accommodation, relations, in laws, colleagues, health, church, facebook J to mention a few. All these have thoughts, imaginations, plans and ideas running through your head at breakneck speed, falling over themselves to get your attention.
Your mind then becomes a mesh of jumbled feelings in the continual process of sorting and prioritizing, if not left unsorted and unattended to.
Concerning matters of the heart, we counsel people to ‘Follow your heart’. This is tricky. Very tricky. How can you follow your heart when it is besieged on all sides and under continuous stress from matters both within and beyond your control? Does an anxious, oversensitive, maybe even confused, scared and uncertain heart have the ability to lead you? Really?
The bible says the heart of man is desperately wicked. Now try that on for size. Can a less than perfect heart lead you right 100% of the time? But I have a good heart, you may say. I’m just a simple, nice cool headed fellow trying to get through life.
But think of the times when you felt you acted out of form? You spoke a demeaning word to someone, maybe a friend, sibling or employee. Overreacted to something you could have overlooked? And then you felt guilty afterwards? Where did that come from? Your heart, isn’t it?
What am I saying here? We cannot trust our own hearts. When it comes to hearing from God, taking decisions and living the God kinda life, God is our best and only fool proof option.
After I have obeyed and done all I have to do, I will stand by the word of God. If all fails, I have an anchor that will never give way.
Both my friends are married today but not to the men they thought God had spoken to them about. What happened? I daresay they heard their own hearts speak.Contrary to what you might think, they were not immature Christians at the time of their seeming revelation, but their hearts got in the way.
It’s easy to say follow your heart and look at issues through rose coloured glasses but we know that tough choices have to be made, the outcome of which is pivotal to the quality of life we live.
As long as we are in this body, there will always be opportunities to be misguided and misled by our ‘good intentions’.
See Phillipians 2:5a
See Phillipians 2:5a
May the Lord help us to rise above them.
S&H,
Roy
5 comments:
wow,very in depth post,you see in this life,we have to make a mistake,costly or not,if not for any other thing to remind us that we are still human and God is the only perfect being,in every situation,we try to do what is seemingly the best,but like I usually say,any situation you come into,and you try to be sentimental about it,then don't follow your heart,your heart would tell you what to do and for me I do the opposite,follow your heart when you knw that the decision you'll make is not out of greed,pity or self-righteousness.
My take.
Nice going Gretty. I do agree with you. But in some ways methinks my frailty already gives me an amazing idea how human I am, to risk making the wrong decisions (often)will only compound the issue.
I'm not saying we shouldn't take risks, rara o. But you'll agree with me that pivotal decisions should not be based on 'following our heart' which I think is a fancy way of saying 'go with your feelings'. And will agree that we can't trust our feelings 100%.
By my very nature, I hate to muddle things up, no matter how inconsequential the issue may seem. I like to get things right the first time. Guess that's why this resonates with me.
Thanks dearie :)
appreciate the comment.
nice one Rem-Rem, very thoughtful, and i hope my heart have heard. permit me to say that our hearts are egocentric, the past times i hearkened to my heart, it failed me,the Psalmist said it all in Psalm 74:26. "But think of the times when you felt you acted out of form? You spoke a demeaning word to someone, maybe a friend, sibling or employee. Overreacted to something you could have overlooked? And then you felt guilty afterwards? Where did that come from? Your heart, isn’t it?" No it's not. When such situations prop up, the conviction of wrong doing comes from the Holy Spirit (John 16:8) and not our Hearts, the heart feels it, and likes to render an heart felt apology(if necessary). Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the Sons of God. The Sons of God are no longer led by their own hearts, and so therefore the channel of our leading must always be clear, this is where spiritual discernment comes to the fore. May God help us all, discernment is an absolute assignment for every believer. Constantly studying and meditating on the Word of God, and not letting the cares of life (Your career, family, marriage, children, cars, accommodation, relations, in laws, colleagues, health, church, facebook J to mention a few) choke the Word (Mathew 13:22), even after receiving the seed, these things speak and want our attention, they come upon us daily (2 Cor 11:28a). I personally battle these things, and like i said May God help us all.
Hmmm... Ditto Adeyemi, and what a sound post Remi, more blessings.
I may just add that we may like to think that the believer should be able to safely follow his heart, being that it is regenerated. But perhaps there is an oversight there too, I think the regenerate or transformed heart is that which is no longer reliant in itself or self serving, but rather follows after Christ.
Following after God's Word, Christ, rather than feeling or premonition, is actually what makes us set apart, transformed; it's what it is to be led by the Spirit.
Thanks guys. I really feel your thoughts.
@tee, "I think the regenerate or transformed heart is that which is no longer reliant in itself or self serving, but rather follows after Christ!"
You nailed it with that statement!
Post a Comment