Do you listen when God speaks?

This is a tough one for me. There have been so many times when I heard or felt God telling me to do something and I let fear get in the way and did not do it. Why do I do this? It wasn’t like He was asking me to sacrifice my child or to go preach to a city full of sin. He wasn’t asking me to turn water into wine or leave my family or my job to follow Him.

Fear, the great inhibitor.

As you already know I am not a big talker. I am also comfortable in my comfort zone. God says go talk to that stranger. I am like are you sure? Then the stranger walks away and the chance is gone. God says go left and I go right and find myself somewhere I shouldn’t be. Should’ve listened to God. God says get off the computer and spend time with your family. I say they are fine. They are busy doing what they do.

Status quo. Don’t rock the boat. If it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it.

But it is broken isn’t it.

Technology is great but it has also taken so much away from why we are here. Yes, I can reach millions of people I will never see through these writings and hopefully bring a few of those people to know Jesus. Am I sacrificing my time with my family by doing this? Maybe. God is telling me to do this so I am doing it. How do I do it without sacrificing family time? I have to sacrifice my time. Instead of aimlessly looking at the internet I have to concentrate on writing. Instead of sleeping seven hours maybe I sleep six. Would you sacrifice an hour sleep if God was using you to change the world? Would you spend the thirty minutes you take each morning drinking coffee and reading (or watching) the morning news and change it to taking thirty minutes to tell the world about Jesus? We all have extra time in the day, it comes down to a matter of how do you want to use that extra time? If God asks you to give him ten minutes a day, would you, could you do it?

Watch tv or read the bible? Read about the latest news on this or that celebrity or talk to your children and spouses?

Matthew 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,

Spend twenty minutes reading all the jokes, gossip, news etc in your inbox or spend twenty minutes exercising? If God asked you to run for Him, would you do it?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

I remember a time when a young couple came to our church. They sat right in front of us and they looked distraught. She was pregnant and you could tell they didn’t have much money. At the end of service, God was telling me to talk to them, but I didn’t. I said maybe next time. Later, my wife told me God was telling her the same thing, but she did nothing also. She thought maybe next time. That couple has not been back to our church, or if they have we have not seen them. I would talk to them now.

I remember a young lady sat beside us one service and she cried most of the service. I felt God telling me to talk to her. This time I did, a simple are you okay, anything I can do? She said thanks but no, she will be okay. I see her every service and she is an active member of our church. What if that day I didn’t say anything?

I remember at my work, a long time ago, everyone was cursing all the time. It was a hostile environment. Yelling across the room f this or f that. I heard God say stop cursing and people will follow. I quit and within two-three weeks, almost everyone quit cursing and the mood in the room changed for the better. What if I didn’t listen and kept cursing?

I remember my wife saying she can’t lead a Run For God class. She heard God telling her to do it but fear of speaking in front of people kept her from doing it. She lead her first Run For God class June 28th. Sixteen adults and ten children were there and more people have shown interest in being there for the second class. So far, that’s twenty-six people, that through God, she is leading to bring them closer to God, to meet new people in their walk with God, and to use their bodies and minds to glorify God. All because she listened to God.

How do you know if it’s God, your own mind, or Satan speaking to you? Satan deceives and lies, will try to lead you away from what is right. Your mind is selfish and will try to promote your own self interests. God will lead you to do what is right, He will never ask you to do something you shouldn’t, and will always put others before yourselves.

Once you get over your fears, it gets easier. That’s why people try to conquer their fears by facing them head on. Afraid of heights? Go someplace high. Afraid of spiders, snakes? Hold one. Okay maybe not. How about be in a room with them at the zoo or something. Have you watched Biggest Loser or Extreme Weight Loss? The issues are usually the fears they have or a trauma that had happened in their life that is holding them back. Once they tackle those issues, the I can’ts or the trauma they faced earlier in life, they move forward. Afraid to tell the truth because of shame, hurt? Do it anyway, the truth will always set you free.

John 8:32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

What is God asking you to do today? Is your answer yes Lord?

Never Gone by Colton Dixon –