EDUCATION
Recognizing Different Voices
Recognizing Different Voices
"EDUCATION" pages are full of thought-provoking information designed to appeal to all of your rational, thinking brain. These pages are primarily for learning, as opposed to some other types of Comfort.Guide pages which are written more for motivation and consolation. Let these teachings help guide you to the truth that you are noticed, loved and cared for, even though you might not always feel so!
How do we distinguish the voice of God from our own voice, the voice of others, and the voice of the world and the evil that seeks to harm us?
First of all, let's define the experience of "hearing voices". By "voices" we mean internal thoughts, emotions and even images.
As we interact in the world and as we develop over time, our thoughts, emotions and images will come together and form a strong internal belief system about God, ourselves, others, and the world we live in. This belief system is used almost daily, and becomes entrenched as the basis through which we filter and interpret the events of our lives today, perhaps in a rational way and perhaps in an irrational way. In other words, as we grow and experience life, we make judgments about today's events through this internal belief system that has been formed within us.
Too often our interpretations of today's events are really based upon mis-interpretations and woundings experienced in the past. Often we are not even aware of this connection!
In order to receive comfort it is essential to understand:
* How we have interpreted past events
* How we interpret current events
* And how we still use past interpretations for current events.
We need to distinguish thoughts, emotions and images that the voices of others have imprinted in our belief system, all of which can tempt us to see our lives through the perspective of darkness rather than of light. In order to receive comfort from the God of all comfort we need to distinguish His voice from our own belief system. We need to seek and be aware of truth.
Fortunately, as we read earlier in this section (Jesus Note - The Holy Spirit, click HERE to review this), we have the free gift of the Holy Spirit who lives within our spirit, and He too can and will inspire thoughts, emotions and images in our internal belief system. And the good news is that His work can wash away anything and everything erroneous, and in its place imprint the ability to see clearly and understand fully the events in our life, but now through God's eyes!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your path straight." (Proverbs 3, NIV)
Graham Cooke has made an excellent eight minute video available to us on YouTube entitled: "How To Recognize God's Voice Speaking to You". In this video, Cooke is answering the question: “What is God really, really like?”. He states that seeking an answer to this question is the most important question in our lives. The answer will provide the perspective through which we hear His voice!
Cooke presents the Nature of God as revealed in the Scripture as: relentlessly kind, slow to anger, compassionate, gracious, truthful, loving, faithful and more. That is Who He is! Jesus Himself reflected God's Nature when He was among us, and still does today. Jesus referred to Himself as the one Isaiah spoke about, someone who would set captives free, comfort those who mourn and transform the ashes of our lives into beauty.
Cooke finally emphasizes that the Voice of God will be consistent with the Nature of God, a voice that is: loving, not condemning; truthful yet merciful; kind and compassionate rather than harsh and distant. Cooke encourages us to position ourselves in God’s heartbeat.
Have 8 minutes for God to speak with you? Please pause and take the time to listen to this enlightening and freeing video. Click HERE to be directed to YouTube. Once there, in the Search box, just type in "How to recognize God's Voice speaking to you", and click on Graham Cooke. It will be well worth your time!
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PROMISES ..... short Scriptures to build you up and give you hope!
"Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Make me know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation." (Psalm 25, NIV)
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Click HERE to go to the next reading "Mindfully Attaching to God"