Discerning The Voice Of GodSample

I want you to know, I’m well aware of how difficult surrender can often be. Take it from me—a girl with a heart that, apart from the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, can be so steely and apathetic. So when I reached out to my Twitter family, asking them to name the usual suspects that often keep them from surrendering to the Lord, I recognized many of their responses. Things such as fear, pride, laziness, impatience with God’s timing, busyness with personal ambitions, or concern that we might be hearing God wrong. 

As we dive headfirst into this study and plunge fully into the freedom of hearing the voice of God again (or maybe for the first time), we’re leaving these robbers behind. They’ve distracted and disoriented us long enough. We want to hear God clearly now.

Look at Jesus’ sentiments in John 5:30; note what He did not seek and what He did seek.

Clearly Jesus was not ignoring the fact that He possessed a will of His own. Yet He was committed to honoring His Father’s will above it. He heard the voice of the Father more clearly than anyone to ever walk the earth. The defining characteristic of His life was that He was always postured to obey. He was steeped in humility and available to do His Father’s bidding over His own sentiments and ambitions as a man.

You and I have our own will too. And that’s fine. We don’t need to pretend otherwise. Our problem comes from not surrendering that will to the Father’s superior will. His perfect will. His all-wise will. His all-good will. His “if you only knew what I could do in you, you’d never doubt Me for a moment” will.

Most of us fear the loss of our hopes, dreams, and ambitions should we ever submit ourselves entirely to the Father’s will. We imagine them being crushed and discarded, never to be fulfilled. Honoring God’s directives will indeed require adjustments on our part, but it will never leave us lacking. The will that is submitted to Him is not extinguished; it is simply surrendered. It becomes like clay in the Potter’s hand—pliant and moldable—the raw material for His most stunning masterpieces.

We don’t lose. We win.

In what ways, if any, have you been concerned about “losing yourself” if you surrender completely to God?