“Generally speaking, we regard discomfort in any form as bad news. But for practitioners or spiritual warriors—people who have a certain hunger to know what is true—feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are. Those events and people in our lives who trigger our unresolved issues could be regarded as good news. We don’t have to go hunting for anything. We don’t need to try to create situations in which we reach our limit. They occur all by themselves, with clockwork regularity.” (Chodron, Pema. When Things Fall Apart (Shambhala Classics) (pp. 19-20). Shambhala. Kindle Edition.)

So many people I talk to have questions about how we hear the voice of G-d – and discern between G-d’s voice and the “other” voices. Throughout their lives they have trouble discerning the truth. 

Everyone needs to have a discerning mind – it is necessary in this world where there are many “voices” vying for our attention, our loyalty, and our money. In the history of the church, there have been certain individuals who have possessed the ability to discern whether a message is from G-d, or from other voices. In Matthew 24:4-5 Jesus said that many would come in his name saying they are him, trying to deceive people into following them, but Jesus warned that we need to be discerning to determine if they are “of G-d”. One of the best ways this pastor has determined to discern if something is “of G-d” or not is to turn to scripture. If the message someone is proclaiming directly contradicts scripture, you can be sure it is not “of G-d”. 

But we cannot fall into the trap of thinking that G-d only speaks to us in the good times and not in the difficult times of our lives. Pema Chodron speaks to this in her comments above: “Generally speaking, we regard discomfort in any form as bad news. Those events and people in our lives who trigger our unresolved issues could be regarded as good news.”

My friends we must be aware of all voices and all experiences that happen to us – to always have a discerning ear and a discerning mind – and to regard every moment of our lives as moments that will teach us something about faith, about trust, and about G-d’s love. Listen for G-d’s voice every day – study and pray on G-d’s word, in scripture – and always have a discerning mind.

Pastor Dave