Obeying that Small Voice

Have you ever had a thought or feeling that you should do or say something but for whatever reason you decide not to? Then, later you discover that had you followed the thought you would have gained or prevented something from happening.  I’m sure it happens to all of us at some point in our lives.  We have probably missed blessings because of our disobedience to that small voice. Often that small voice is the voice of the Holy Spirit providing guidance for us and when we reject Him we lose.  In the parable where Jesus feeds the multitude, John 6:1-13, He tells the disciples to have the people sit down.  Then he blesses the food and distributes it to those who were seated.   

In this well-known passage, Jesus performs a miracle by feeding over 5000 people with only five small loaves of bread and two small fish.  This scripture is often used to remind people that God will provide and that He can take dismal circumstances and richly bless us through them.  I whole-hardheartedly agree that God is our provider and He will take care of us.  Even though this is a prime focus of this passage, I want to draw your attention to verses 10-11 of this passage.

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

Notice, before Jesus distributed the food, He ordered the people to sit down on the grass.  After giving thanks, Jesus then passed out the food to those who were seated.  I believe this is a key point in the passage. Could it be that there were those who did not follow the command?  Could it be that those who refused to sit missed a blessing because they refused to obey?  In this passage those who heard and obeyed received.  If we want to receive what God has for us, then we need to be attentive to His voice and obedient to His word. 

A few years ago, while traveling to Atlanta with a friend to celebrate my birthday, I had a strong urge to tell my friend to slow down.  But, I ignored the feeling and approximately ten minutes later, we got pulled over by a law enforcement officer and given a speeding ticket.  As a result of the ticket, my friend was unhappy and now had to pay a $300 fine.  Let’s just say it was not a good way to start my birthday celebration.  This is a prime example of how disobeying the Spirit of God can have negative consequences.  If I had listened to the Holy Spirit’s direction, my friend may have not received a speeding ticket; and it would not have put a damper on the start of my birthday celebration. 

Yes, God is the ultimate provider.  Yes, He has good plans for you to prosper and have a future and hope.  Yes, He is sovereign and loves us unconditionally.  However, we cannot just expect God to move in our lives if we are not being obedient to His instruction.  In Luke 6:46, Jesus asks “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord and not do what I say?”  See, we can pray to God.  Yet, we also need to be attentive to His voice and not only hear what He says, but do what He says as well.  Only then, will we begin to experience the overflow of blessings God has for us.

Singleness...A Blessing or a Curse?

I have always been a planner.  As a child, I had my life and major milestones all mapped out.  It went something like this: Finish high school (age 17); graduate from college (age 21); finish grad school/ start career (age 23); get married (age 25); and so on.  As I was matriculating through school, I was easily checking off my educational goals.  However, my dating life was a completely different story.  I dated, but had not yet met the man God has for me.  As I entered my mid-twenties, I began to put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure I was married by a certain age.  Sadly, I was under the impression that having a husband and kids would provide a sense of wholeness in my life.

Fighting Fear

Fear is a condition I have battled with for many years.  I used to be afraid of being in the spotlight; afraid of sharing my thoughts with most people; and afraid of looking or feeling stupid.  Looking back, I now realize that my fear was limiting my growth.  A fearful life is an unfulfilled life.  Fear was keeping me from sharing my insights with the world.  It was keeping me from offering my gift of counseling to those in need of it.  Overall, fear kept me from stepping outside of the box and walking into my destiny.  Fear was actually attacking my destiny. The spirit of fear is an intruder.  It is trying to steal from us what God has given us.  God's spirit is one of love, power, and a sound mind.

 I thank God for speaking to me and highlighting areas in my life that need improvement.  One of these areas for me was fear.  The bible instructs us hundreds of times not to be fearful.  In Galatians 1:10, the apostle Paul states, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of God.” 

            This verse ministered to my spirit.  I learned that most of my fears concerned how others would view me or potential comments they would make about me.  Fears of being misunderstood and embarrassed were hurting me.  These fears were also killing my ministry.  However, the above bible verse illustrates that seeking the approval of man, should not be my priority.  Instead, my focus needed to shift to pleasing God.  Changing my focus from man to God provided so much freedom for me.  This shift broke numerous spiritual and mental chains in my life that were holding me back from reaching my potential.

Push Forward

“Don’t let your past pull you back.  If anything, let it propel you forward.”

-          Erika

About a month ago, I was on my way to work and I had an epiphany! It’s funny because it started off being a standard weekday for me.   You know, it was the usual morning routine…get up…brush teeth… shower…. put on clothes…head out the door, etc.  As I was driving in 8 o’clock traffic, I looked in the rear-view mirror, but I noticed that I could not see the traffic behind me because of the dew on the window.  Right then, the following phrase popped into my head, “Don’t let your past pull you back.  If anything, let it propel you forward.” In that moment, I realized that at times we can get so caught up on our past.  We can actually become so fixated on our past that we become stuck there.   We get so hung up on past failures, past hurt, past relationships that it hinders us from progressing towards our future.

                I’m not saying to completely ignore the past.  It is my belief that experiences from our past can provide valuable knowledge and can be exceptional learning experiences.  However, the problem comes when we’re too busy looking in our rearview mirror and not focusing on what lies ahead.  Don’t allow the past to keep you in bondage. Don’t let past hurts control you.  Instead, let your past experiences be building blocks for you. Let it motivate you to strive for more!  Learn from the past, but don’t live there. 

                You may be wondering how to be free from negative thoughts and feelings associated with your past.  This requires time, prayer, and effort.  Sometimes the process of letting go can be quite lengthy.  Yet, here are a few strategies that can assist you in this process: