Entire books have been written on this topic, but we want to sum it up in about 300 words.
John 10 says like sheep – we were made to hear our shepherd’s voice. To know it, understand the command, and follow.
Do you hear God? Do you feel confident it is His voice? Do your kids?
Today, we want to challenge you to say “YES” to the above questions.
Here are a few ways to grow in your faith/ability to hear our Good Shepherd.
1. Read God’s word. Spend time in His words to hear Him clearly. Start in Psalms or any of the Gospels. Knowing His words will help you know his voice and character. Read the Bible with your kids. Spend time in truth and watch how their curiosity for God’s voice grows.
2. Ask God questions. He is alive, active, and working every day in our lives. Invite Him in by asking simple questions. Our friends recently said, “We don’t move until God says right or left. We invite Him into decisions – small and big.” That is the way we were born to live – following our Good Shepherd’s every command.
3. Give Him the credit. We believe the thoughts in our heads are usually divided into 3 categories – ours, Gods, and the enemy's. You can teach your kids to distinguish between these three voices. For example, if your child thinks, “I hate myself and my entire family...” We can teach them that is not God’s voice because God is love – He can hate sin, but He does not hate His creation. That feeling/thought is their own or from the enemy. When we assign a voice to the thoughts in our head – we can clearly see where God is whispering, where we are trying to be in control, and where the enemy is actively trying to deceive us.
God speaks to His children. He is constantly singing His love, identity, and hope over us. He is also training, correcting, and convicts us to follow Him, not the world. If we are going to thrive in this life, we need to hear AND obey His voice – and show our kids how to do the same.
Okay, this was closer to 400 words – but take these ideas and run! Investing in your ability to hear God can transform your family.
