We often long to hear from God during life’s consequential moments––when problems or uncertainties hit or we’re faced with a potentially life-altering decision. And while God is a grace-giving, faithful Father who remains attentive to the heartfelt pleas of His children, He longs for more than emergency connections. He wants to guide us toward His very best each day, helping us avoid crisis situations and strengthening us for what’s ahead.
Each day, in numerous ways, God is speaking. The question is: are we listening?
Here are 4 ways we can decrease our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
1. Doubting We’ll Hear
Early in my Christian journey, I heard God’s voice clearly and often. This seemed natural to me, in part because my experience matched what I read in Scripture, and also because I didn’t know any different. But then I heard more “mature” believers downplay His voice, their skepticism created similar doubts within me. Confusion regarding certain situations further clouded my faith. When I sensed and followed God’s direction, and things didn’t turn out as I expected, I doubted His voice when I should have doubted my expectations.
I forgot that God’s ways often exceed my understanding. He sees things I don’t, and lovingly directs me from dangers and toward His very best. Consider how He led the Israelites, when they fled their Egyptian oppressors. Scripture says, “Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, ‘The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’ Therefore God led the people around by way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in battle formation from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 13:17-18, NASB).
When the Egyptians pursued them, however, God’s people found themselves trapped with the army advancing from one side and the sea blocking them in from the other. Human wisdom said God had abandoned them, but truth said He’d led them precisely where He’d planned. Where the miracle occurred. God parted the water, turning their perceived barrier into their escape route. Then, once they’d all crossed to the other side, God turned the barrier into their defense and the wall of water swept their enemies into the sea.
Whenever I place more value on my logic than God’s leading, my hearing dulls. My sensitivity increases when I come to Him in faith, trusting He is fully capable of not only speaking but also in making His voice known.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/RUNSTUDIO
2. External Noise
While God can and does use social media and other technological advances for good, our obsession with these tools often hinder our spiritual sensitivity. All the sensationalized, fear-mongering articles flooding our feeds can overshadow everything we know to be true. Threats, perceived or real, deceive us into believing our world’s chaos is greater than our God.
Then there’s all the time many of us spend captured by mindless entertainment. Golf, movies, and silly dog videos aren’t inherently bad. In fact, their humor can help conquer the negativity that bombards us each day.
These activities become harmful, however, when they crowd out our time with God.
We hear God’s voice most clearly when we’ve stepped away from our world’s chaos to connect with Him.
Notice God’s invitations in the following verses:
“Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.” (John 15:4)
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
One of my favorite passages comes from 1 Kings 19, when one of God’s prophets was nearly overcome with fear. He was fleeing the powerful and idolatrous queen of the land who was determined to kill him, and Elijah was so distraught, he wanted to die. And so, God sent an angel to nourish and strengthen him, then called his child into His presence (1 Kings 19:1-11).
Elijah obeyed, and Scripture says, “a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:11b-12, NIV)
To hear His voice clearly, we must quiet ourselves and our surroundings and sit in His presence, trusting Him to speak.
3. A Divided Heart
I’m less apt to hear God when I’m holding tightly to something I fear He might ask me to give up. I suspect that’s true for all of us. There are certain things, or perhaps people, that challenge our surrender. Therefore, we approach God hesitantly, with unspoken conditions. “I’ll obey so long as …”
Scholars suggest this was, at least in part, what James, Jesus’ half-brother was referring to when he warned us against double-mindedness. After encouraging us to seek God’s wisdom during difficult and painful times, he wrote, “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”
According to New Testament Professor Craig S. Keener, “In the context of James, asking for wisdom in faith means committing oneself to obey what God reveals.”
When we’ve allowed lesser things to take God’s rightful place in our hearts, we’re more prone to self-deception and tend to elevate our voice above His. His guidance gains clarity through our surrender.
4. Distancing Ourselves from Truth
Humans are easily deceived and self-deceiving, quick to follow eloquent speakers, persuasively presented ideologies, and our inner temptations. We can easily convince ourselves that right is wrong and wrong is right. In fact, Scripture indicates, left on our own, we will navigate toward spiritual blindness. We need a non-subjective, clear standard of truth through which to filter our thoughts and influences.
Scripture reveals God’s hearts and plans and is the only unchanging way, and one of the primary ways, the Holy Spirit speaks to our souls. As Minister Mark Ashton from Christ Community Church in Omaha, Nebraska states, “When you immerse yourself in Scripture, you become softer and more tender to the promptings of God.”
Prior to His death, Jesus told His disciples He’d soon send them the “Spirit of Truth” who would teach them all things and remind them of everything He’d told them. Also referred to as our Advocate, Comforter, and Guide, He comes alongside us, whispering encouraging, inspiring, or convicting words to help us grow into all God created us to be.
If we’ve trusted in Christ for salvation, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and give us all we need to do all God desires. He longs to influence our every thought, word, act, and decision. His role is to empower, teach, and guide us toward God’s very best. May we, His beloved children, trust Him to lead, break free from our world’s constantly distracting noise, purify our hearts, and anchor ourselves in the truth through which He speaks so that we can experience the beyond-expectation, eternally significant life Christ promised us.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Claudio Ventrella
Originally published Thursday, 05 August 2021.
