Listening and Obeying

People who know me know that I love to take risks. I'm not irresponsible, but I am sold out to the directions that God gives me in my life. And that involves taking risks. An intimate relationship with God is required if we are to live an adventurous journey of life on the edge with God in the lead of everything. To hear God's voice, we must be in a relationship with him. Also, things often do not turn out as we planned even if we do think that we're hearing from God. We are not in control of how things turn out. God is in control, and he always has our best interests at heart.

When God speaks to us, it is very important how we choose to respond. In Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby writes, "Some of us assume we have the next few months to think about what God said and to consider whether this is the best timing, to see when we can best fit His instructions into our crowded schedules. But God speaks in His timing. He communicates with His servant when He is ready to move. As God enters into the mainstream of your life, the promptness of your response is crucial. The moment God speaks to you, that is the time to respond. God speaks when He has a purpose in mind for your life. Two things are crucial as you respond: First, you must immediately begin to adjust your life to what He says. Second, you must be prepared to remain obedient as long as it takes for God to fulfill His purposes."

And that's where many American Christians run into problems. We go to church, we read our Bibles, we listen to inspiring stories on Christian radio stations, we go to the Christian book store, we attend small groups and retreats, and we have access to the most in-depth amount of theological material ever assembled by one society. And still, in all those ways that we try to hear from God about our lives, we often fail to obey God when he clearly asks us to do something because our lives are too busy or too comfortable. We perceive that too much risk is required. It's difficult to deviate from the American dream, even though the American dream is all about us trying to control our lives instead of God. And so, many American Christians fail to live out the purposes that God has for them in his mission to redeem the world because they are too deeply immersed in self-help, cultural versions of Christianity. We must break free from that. We must give up control. We must take risks. When God speaks, we must be obedient no matter what it costs us or how long it will take for God to achieve his purposes. We must make changes in our lives in order to be obedient. This is what being a follower of Christ is all about, and it cannot happen apart from an intimate relationship with God.