The Voices in our Choices

Do you ever get a moment’s peace?

A time to be silent and still?  To hear the quietness of a second in time?

I know, it’s rare in our busy lives to find such a gem.  But if you do, what do you hear?  Do you hear the stillness of the moment, or do your thoughts begin to pour in at a rapid pace? What do your thoughts tell you in that space in time where your earth stands still for a nanosecond?

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In the moments of stillness, whose voice speaks the loudest?

Chances are pretty good that your thoughts, your “voices” start to regale to you the litany of undone tasks, and broken promises.  Or perhaps your voice is recounting all of the ways you messed up recently.  Perhaps your voice is reliving a painful past or present moment.  Maybe it whispers a prayer, a hope, a desperate cry.

There are a million voices speaking to us everyday.  Voices telling you who you are and which way to go.  Not all voices in your life are looking out for you.  In fact, most of the voices in our lives have their own agenda.  These voices in our lives never seem to stop talking:

• The voice of the news media and parent mania.
• The voice of your society, and you workplace.
• The voice of your family and your faith.
• The voice of your successes and failures.
• The voice of past woes and future worries.
• The voice of your friends and your foes.

Every voice that we allow to whisper in our ear, feeds our beliefs on some level.  True or not, these beliefs color our choices and persuade our actions.  Whose voice are you listening to today?

If you listen to the voices that speak life and peace, your choices will follow.

If you listen to voices that speak hate and shame, your choices will follow.

Which voice are you listening to?  It will determine your choices.

There is a better way.  There is a true voice of love and forgiveness that can drown out every other voice you hear.

Because in the midst of the cacophony of voices that speak into your life and heart is the voice on One who loves you more and knows you better than anyone else.  That is the voice of God.  When you choose to believe who God’s Son Jesus is, and what He has done for you, you will start to hear the voice of truth over the voice of lies.  And when you choose to listen to that voice of love and grace, your life will take on new meaning, and your actions will show it.

Here’s a list of what THAT voice says about you, the voice of a God who loves you and longs for you to hear His voice over all the others.

God says that as His child you are:

• His possession
• His child
• His workmanship
• His friend
• His temple
• His vessel
• His co-laborer
• His witness.

When you are quiet and still, you will hear Gods voice saying You are:

• A soldier
• An ambassador
• A building
• A minister
• An instrument
• A saint

In that moment of stillness, let God whisper to you that you have:

• Been redeemed
• Set free from sin
• Set free from Satan
• Set free from the kingdom of darkness
• Chosen before the foundation of the world
• Predestined to be like Jesus
• Forgiven of all your trespasses
• Given a sound mind
• Given the Holy Spirit
• Adopted into God’s family
• Given great and precious promises

Now what choices would you make today, if you chose to believe THAT voice over all of the others that are filling up space in your head?

It’s not just about the voices we hear, but which ones we choose to believe that determine our actions.

When we listen to the voice of God, our actions will boil down to 2 things:

1. Love God

2. Love others

These are the very two greatest commandments that Jesus gave while here on earth.

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.  And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

(Mark 12:29-31 NLT) 

God’s voice prompts us to do the right thing, always.

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Whose voice are you listening to today?

Others? Yours? or God’s?

How do these voices affect your actions?

If you need this, print out this article and keep it with you as a reminder of what God’s voice says to you.  The reminder will drown out the other voices (including your own), and lead you to the right course of action.

If someone you know needs to hear this, share it with them.  Then you will be helping them hear the voice they need today.