1 Samuel 3:1-10
How sharp is your spiritual hearing? Ask yourself the following questions:
- How well do I know God? Not knowing God’s character and what pleases Him hinders listening.
- Have I been too busy to Make time for God? We can’t listen and respond to Him when there’s no breathing room in our schedules and mind.
- Do I believe God speaks through His Holy Spirit? Unless we believe that our heavenly Father speaks to us personally, we won’t hear His voice.
- Do I have a sense of guilt? If we don’t live in the freedom of God’s forgiveness—which Christ gained for us on the cross—we’ll experience false guilt, and our listening skills will diminish.
- Am I committing repeated sin in my life? Unless we repent of known transgressions, we will be harboring sin, which makes hearing the Lord difficult—like static in our ears.
- How well do I receive criticism and correction? Our tendency is to reject the messenger without determining if he or she was sent by God.
Believers have a responsibility to listen carefully and be self-aware (Luke 8:18). Consider these questions with an open heart, and God will guide you to the next steps He wants you to take.
