Listening to and Obeying God

If you are like most Christians, you may wonder how God communicates with us? God reaches out to us in many different ways – through scripture, thoughts, television programs, events, and even our own relationships with other people. God’s presence is everywhere. He will often speak to us when we are quietly reading scripture from the bible or when we are praying. This includes pausing and listening for God to respond to us while we are reading or praying. By disciplining yourself and making this a daily habit, you will be able to recognize God’s voice. If you are unsure, ask yourself, is what I am hearing based on truth in the bible? For all good things come from God as James, a faithful servant of God, testifies, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” (James 1:17a, NIV)

However, if what you are hearing is tempting you to sin, then what you are hearing is coming from worldly influences. When your belief is firmly rooted in Christ, you will be able to overcome all evil desires. It is your faith in Jesus that will prompt you to always to do the right thing. The better we understand God’s word, the more prepared we are when we are faced with worldly temptations. This not only means understanding biblical scriptures but actually doing what it says. For in the bible it says,

“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:23-25, NIV)

By following the teachings of Jesus Christ, we can live the abundant Christian life that God intended for us to live. For God did not want us to suffer but to live an enjoyable life full of love for Him and for each other. This love God has for all of us is unconditional. No matter what you have done or how unworthy you may feel or how badly others have treated you, God still loves you.

If you live a Christ-centered life, God will compel you to have compassion for others, no matter what they have done. As Christians, we are God’s hands, feet, eyes and heart to reach out to the poor, the sick and the oppressed in this world. God has a purpose for each and every Christian but we need to open our eyes, ears and hearts to hear what He is telling us to do. Our obedience to God is essential in helping us mature spiritually because preaching the gospel is not enough. We must also do the good deeds God commands us to do out of love in order to glorify His name.