I’ve tried a lot of different things when trying to hear from God on big issues in my life. I’ve taken my Bible and tossed it gingerly onto my bed hoping that it will open to the exact chapter and verse that spells out how I should handle the situation. Unfortunately, the binding on my Bible has a little fold and so most of the time, it opens to a page with the heading “The Soul who Sins will Die.” Though good advice, not exactly the words of wisdom I’m seeking.
When I was in 7th grade, I started dating a boy. I wasn’t allowed to date at this age, but I had started sneaking around to talk to this boy on the phone. I was writing him notes in class and hanging out with friends who I knew were friends with him.
A few days into the relationship, I started to feel a little convicted about how I’d been behaving. So, I prayed that if I was supposed to end the relationship with this boy, that when I turned on the radio, the song “Mmm…Bop” by Hanson would be on the radio. First of all, this boy was clearly a bad influence on me because I was definitely not allowed to listen to the radio station this song played on. Secondly, this story takes place in 1997, a time when it was impossible to go into a restaurant, shop in the mall, or walk down the street without hearing “Mmm…Bop” by Hanson as it was one of the most popular songs released that year.
I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed really hard before I turned the radio on. Sure enough, “Mmm…Bop” by Hanson was playing on the radio. Immediately, I began to explain away what just happened. I shouldn’t have been listening to that radio station. The boy wasn’t that bad of an influence on me. What if he starts coming to church with me? What if I’m the link between him and Jesus?
I did eventually end things with the boy. Unfortunately, it was about a month after this incident and probably could have saved myself a lot of stress, heartache, and tears by ending things when I started to feel convicted.
It seems like the longer I walk with the Lord, the more reliant I become on hearing his voice to make big decisions. I’ve learned that tossing my Bible on the bed and turning on the radio aren’t probably the best ways to hear His voice either. Hearing from God takes practice, time, and quiet.
Isaiah 30:21 (NIV) says “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”
God wants to help us make decisions – both big and small. Our responsibility is to practice being quiet, listening, and seeking His voice.