I don’t believe that I would ever wake up in the morning and say “I think I’ll exalt myself above the Lord today!” Egad… may it never be. Yet I have uncovered a few places in my thinking that do a fairly good job of sitting high and lofty.
So…. welcome to my confessional.
Judgement is my first case in point. Before I know it, my thoughts can find themselves running down the road of forming opinions on things that I know nothing about. Not my favorite character trait.
Unforgiveness is case in point number two. Oh sure, I say the prayer all good Christians are supposed to say. Yet the judgements I mentioned in my case in point number one are proof positive that I don’t always let things go when I say the prayer.
Control is case in point number three. I’m not talking about the obvious control freak that dominates every situation and manipulates every relationship. No… that’s not me. Yet I find myself creating invisible barriers of self protection in various arenas and I realize that this is one way I try to control the world around me.
Now that’s painful to admit…
but also a bit freeing. 🙂
Why am I sharing these things? I believe that judgement, unforgiveness and fear based control are three of the biggest blockages to hearing God’s Voice. It’s in these area’s that our thinking so often makes up it’s own mind, forms it’s own solid opinions and quietly shuts the door to any other input.
On the surface we cry out to hear God. Yet our deepest fears and insecurities keep an ever-so-illusive veil between our heart and His Voice. It’s not a pleasant thought, but it’s often the case none-the-less. Most of us, at very deep levels, are duplicitous people. It’s the infamous head vs. heart disease where my head seems to know much more than my heart embraces. I can yell at my emotions to line up with my well taught mind, but it just doesn’t seem to work.
The answer?
Step one:
Yield.
Abandon all.
Let go.
Lay it all down.
Bring your heart to a place of utter relinquishment,
Bare naked surrender.
Deep within… give Him your will, give Him your rights, give Him your every breath.
Step number two:
Self honesty. Look at what you’re really feeling and bring it to the Lord. Ask Him what’s hidden, and let Him walk you through it hand in hand.
Step three:
Hear Him. When He speaks Truth to our inward man it changes us down to our very core. My words, your words, the counselors words, the teachers words all don’t compare to the power behind His Voice.
He changes us. He transforms us. His Voice shatters mountains, elevates valleys, and rebuilds foundations. Let him speak to your innermost fears. Ask His opinion on every judgement your heart makes. Open your deepest places before His Voice and just see what He can do!