Can You Hear Me Now?

I'm sure you probably remember the Verizon Wireless commercial where the guy walked around saying a phrase something like "Can you hear me now?" That commercial was extremely popular, and I'm sure it played a huge part in the advancement of that company. As I continue to grow and move forward in my walk with Christ, I've discovered this question isn't only being asked by the Verizon guy, but it's also a question that God is continually asking us.

Prior to 2011, I thought I knew how to listen to God. I would pray, read the Bible, and do those kinds of things on a regular basis. Typically, we equate this to "listening to God." While God does speak to us through these things, I've learned over the past year that truly listening to God goes so much further than the times we set aside to hear Him. We must learn to listen to God in all areas of our life at all times. For example...

-What would it look like if you were able to listen to God as you were playing with your kids or spending time with your spouse? I wonder what God would show us or remind us about.

-What if you listened to what God was saying as you were talking to that person in line at Wal-Mart or interacting with your waiter or waitress at the restaurant? I wonder what God may lead you to do or say.

-What if you could hear God speaking to you as your co-worker was talking to you about everything they wish was different in their life? I wonder how He may use you to give them hope or help them see things differently.

As I ask all of these "What ifs?" I hope you realize that "What if?" isn't really even the issue. It's not, "What if?" but "Will You?" The real question is, "Will you be this aware and in-tune with God that you are able and willing hear?"

At the same time, this discussion must go one step further. Your willingness to listen is one thing, but what good is listening if we don't act accordingly to what we've heard? If more followers of Christ, myself included, would simply learn to listen to God and do what He says, our families, communities, churches, workplaces, schools, etc would all be dramatically different.

John 14:15 says that if we love Him, we learn to obey His commands. In other words, we'll listen to what He says, and we'll take action. It's kind of like buying a Christmas present for someone you care about. If you're smart, you'll listen to what they say throughout the year. You'll learn what they like and what they desire to have. Then, when it comes time to buy the gift, you'll buy the gift according to what you've heard because you want to please the one you the love. The same is true for showing our love to Christ. We need to listen to what He says, and then act accordingly so that we can show our love to Him!

Later this week, I'll share a process you can use to help you discern what God is saying and then begin to take action on what you hear.