23Mar
In consideration of the avalanche of 60-70K thoughts that we each have every day (see 3-21-20 CV19Daily) and of which a vast majority are negative, how do we learn to accommodate the positive thoughts? Our thoughts jostle and influence us in our actions and attitudes.
In yesterday’s posting, I agreed with the Apostle Paul’s concern over the influence of the negative. We all have an internal battle between the negative and the positive. Paul cried out in Romans 7, expressing his frustrations with the question, “Who will rescue me from this influence?” (7:24 my paraphrase) He then answers his question, “God [will], who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (7:24 NIV)
Excellent! We have someone more than capable. We have someone who is genuinely concerned and wants to help. But, how do I distinguish my personal preferences from the leading that Jesus gives? I offer you a brief three-step process to learn to identify the “voice” (or influence) of Jesus.
Step one comes from Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (NIV) Do you believe that God will respond through Jesus to help you? If you do not, determine why you do not and address that question. If the Lord wills, I will attempt to address this challenge tomorrow. All queries and reasons cannot be fully satisfied, but we can get to a place of genuine confidence, even without all the answers. That confidence must be built upon good reason, or a sinkhole of doubt will one day swallow your house of Faith.
Step two comes straight from Jesus’ lips. John 14:23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (NIV) Earlier in this very dialogue, Jesus promised that he would not leave us without personal guidance. (see John 14:18) A few statements later (:21), Jesus promises to “show himself to them.”
What does all this mean? If I commit to obey what God has given in his Word, I will encounter Jesus’ guidance authentically! How should I expect that to work? Jesus answers that question in John 14:26 (NIV) “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Again, you must be wondering, “What kind of experience is this describing?” As we follow the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, in situation-specific manners, will confirm that we are doing the will of our Lord Jesus. As we follow the written Word of God, we will see the correspondence between the Scriptures and each situation. We will find that the peace of God will confirm to us that we are on track. (Colossians 3:15)
The final step will address those myriads of everyday circumstances that the Bible does not explicitly describe. After developing familiarity with the proven commands of Jesus, we will be able to discern his voice. In John 10, Jesus uses the analogy of a shepherd and his sheep to describe the relationship between him and his followers. Jesus states that his sheep know him and recognize his voice and follow him. When we, as His followers, are in the habit and practice of accurately following his commands as stated in Scripture, we will learn to recognize his unique leading (voice) in everyday circumstances.
A distinct verification process is enunciated in 1 Corinthians 14:29. When God leads in specific settings, as the passage says, “…the others should carefully weigh what is said.” (NIV) We, as the body of Christ, have a mutual responsibility to carefully weigh individual leading in the light of the written Word. Collectively, we can confidently listen to the voice of the Shepherd and be guided to the positive thoughts that are the leading from God.
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