Are You Listening?

by Chris Mullis

Genesis 17:1

Did Jesus end up in your spam folder? We are bombarded with lots of voices all day long. It is no wonder that we cannot take it all in. Part of the trick in life is to figure out what to listen to and what to ignore. We must be careful we are not ignoring Jesus. His Holy Spirit is always with us to guide us. His voice is usually a whisper while other voices are quite loud and persistent. Are you listening closely to Jesus or did His voice get caught by a faulty filter and end up in the spam folder of your life? Maybe it is time to check. People ask me all the time— “Pastor, does God talk to people today like He did in the Bible?” That is a simple question with a complicated answer.

As a preacher, I often say things like— “I heard God telling me to preach on such and such a topic…” Did I really hear God’s voice? The answer is yes and no. I have not ever heard God speak to me in an audible voice, as Genesis 17:1 describes El-Shaddai speaking to Abram. However, I am not lying when I say, “I heard God telling me…” God does speak to me—He whispers to my heart and I intuit what He says. I feel Him leading me. It is sometimes so clear it is as if God is indeed telling me to do something. When you are in tune with God’s spiritual voice, it is just as clear as an audible one. I have learned to listen when God speaks to me in this way.

I wonder if the writers of the Bible heard God in the same way as I do and wrote down “God said” or “God told.” If it is true for me and for many other Christians today, could it not have been so for some of the people in the Bible who heard God speak?

Listening to God is a practice. The more you follow the Holy Spirit, the more sensitive you become to His voice. Many times, we may not hear God “speak” to us because we are not in the habit of listening. What spiritual disciplines could help you be more sensitive to God’s voice?

The most accurate and reliable way God speaks to His people is the Holy Bible, yet few take the time to read their Bible regularly. We may not hear God because we are not listening to His Word in the Bible.

One final issue that could keep you from hearing God is obedience. Has God asked you to do something and

you refuse to obey? If so, it should be no wonder why God does not say something new to you. Why would God say something new when He is still waiting for you to listen to what He said before? Start doing what He told you and He may be more likely to speak a new word into your life.

Christians are the people of the Book. El Shaddai— God Almighty—still speaks to His people today. Are you listening?

About The Author

Rev. Chris Mullis is an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church with a Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Pastor Chris’s ministry has spanned twenty years and four different churches in Georgia. Chris is currently serving God as the senior pastor of Pleasant Grove Methodist Church located at 2701 Cleveland Hwy in Dalton, GA.