Struggle & Triumph: Taming the TongueSample

Heeding the Voice

Growing up in church, Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes explains how he was taught right from wrong. His family raised him to treat people well and to always take the high road. Like a good church kid, when he got upset, he didn’t curse or use the Lord’s name in vain. It just wasn’t part of who he was.

Barnes says, “When I became a head coach, there were times when some of the players frustrated me. I found myself explaining time and again the importance of doing what I said in order to be a superior player, in order to win the game. My assistant coach noticed my predicament and suggested I use profanity to get my point across."

"He told me some of these guys didn’t respond well to kindness—that I had to speak their language by cursing if I ever wanted to get their attention."

"He seemed to know what he was talking about. All the other coaches around the country were doing it. That was the culture. So I tried it. At first, it was awkward for me. I was out of my comfort zone. But the more I cussed, the easier it got."

That uneasy feeling or lack of peace Coach Barnes experienced at the onset was more than merely something new he was uncomfortable with. It was the Holy Spirit attempting to counsel him. As Romans 8:6 warns, our thoughts and actions can be controlled by our desire to conform and be accepted, rather than listening to the Spirit.

So often we dismiss that quiet voice of God for something less important—less spiritual. We write off a conviction and push through the uneasiness until we become relaxed with sinful actions.

This is why James 1:19-21 encourages us to heed that voice. When you ignore the Holy Spirit enough and deliberately embrace the world’s ideals, you will stop hearing God.

Thankfully the Lord used someone to help wake up Coach Barnes, and he saw how he had compromised the standards instilled in him as a child from God’s Word.

More on that tomorrow.

How about you? What are some ways you find yourself tempted to ignore the Lord’s voice and negotiate with the world’s standards?