Following the right voice

My wife & I were recently watching A Gifted Man, a TV show about a man whose wife died & now she supernaturally appears & speaks to him from time to time. In this particular episode, his character, a brain surgeon, is asked to operate on a man who is hearing awful voices in his head. It turns out that this man had the remains of a twin in his brain, which the brain surgeon removed. Ultimately, however, the voices were not removed by this surgery, but by a shaman.

Now putting all the questions of validity aside (after all, while I do believe in a spiritual realm, I don't ascribe to the tenets of the New Age philosophy), this show made me think of the voices or other influences in our heads that try to persuade us to believe certain things about ourselves, to do or not do certain things, and ultimately walk down one path in life or another.

The Casting Crowns song Voice of Truth came to mind. In this song, the narrator tells of his aspirations to do great things. But "voices" (as it were) keep telling him he isn't able; they keep reminding him of the times he's failed. So, why bother trying? But then the "voice of truth"--the Lord God--reminds him that those voices aren't speaking truth, and if God wills us success in a certain endeavor, and we listen to & honor Him along the way, we will succeed.

How often mankind has listened to the "voices" that seemed right at the time, but they led down a tragic path. Whether the voice is one that promises riches, or comfort, or power, if it conflicts with the Voice of Truth, if it conflicts with God's word in Scripture, then it's ultimately a voice that must be ignored and even prayed against. I have committed to considering the consequences, short- or long-term, of following the "voices" that try to influence me. And I am learning Bible verses and stories that tell the truth about what a person of God can be & do when he or she is sold out to the voice of Christ. May I--may we--become such people.

Repost: Are You a Nincompoop

Read for a good understanding of being Much More in Christ (warning: living for Christ might be dangerous to your popularity in the world system)

Who cleans the messes we make?

I'm not "green" to the degree that many environmentalists are. But I cringe when people blatantly throw garbage on the ground. I (and I'm sure most of us) am thankful that other people--people who didn't create the litter--take the time and effort to clean it up. Where I work, I see pieces of garbage strewn about here & there, but before long it's gone. I wonder if the litterers are aware of that? Or do they just think that their trash magically disappears? What would they think if their litter was never cleaned up, & soon started piling up around them?

Jesus Christ is the ultimate version of one who cleans messes He didn't make. He that never sinned took our sin upon himself, so we wouldn't have to suffer all its wretched consequences (2 Corinthians 5:21). So, in a world where sin abounds, where--like litter--its stench could overwhelm us, I'm so thankful for His cleansing blood.