The Voices You Hear

    A little while ago, when I was upset about something, I had what I like to call, a "God moment". I had just finished praying about a very specific matter. I turned on my Pandora radio station, and the first song that played was "The Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns. Here are some of the lyrics:


"Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
To the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out his hand
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. 'Boy, you'll never win!'
"You'll never win"

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth"

All I could do was cry, because a lot of the words were right in the context of what I had prayed. It was a moment where I knew God had heard my prayer, and I felt he was speaking directly to me, for me. I had no idea what music would be played as it is a randomized station, and I feel like God allowed that song to come on to encourage me, and let me know that He was there, and that He will be there.
   The reason I am revisiting an event that happened a little while back is because I feel like I have reached a point in my life where voices of sorts are speaking against me. No, they aren't voices in my head suggestive of a mental disorder, and no they are not literal voices of people speaking to me for those of you who take everything literally, but voices whose silence speaks louder than words.
   You see, i'm in a transitional period in my life. A lot is changing. With that comes specific voices trying to steer me off of the correct path. Let me explain: with every blessing that comes, every blessing designed to propel you into the person you were meant to be, it is going to be met by enemy resistance. As a Christian, I feel like there are forces at work to stop me from becoming all I need to be for Christ. So, by reaching a point in my life full of decisions, new paths, a period of change, and even meeting some specific hardships, it is going to be a very sensitive time. I was speaking with my Fiance about this, and one statement he made really stuck with me. He said, "Ashley, you've worked so hard to get to this point, do you think the enemy wants you to celebrate now? Or do you think that he wants you defeated?" I thought on this very intently, not fully grasping it at first I think. Then, I reached this conclusion: If you have proven yourself, met a milestone, or met a point of change, the enemy is not going to be happy about it. But the enemy won't always attack directly.
   What do I mean by "won't always attack directly". That is where those "voices" come into play. For every person, those voices may be different. It may be an insecurity you have, that even though you are accomplishing things or making changes, you still aren't sure of your self. It may be a voice of addiction, that even though other things are going great in your life, you do not think you can give up some addiction, so it keeps hold of you. It may be a voice of anger, that someone did not do what you thought they should, that someone important to you lets you down, just when you need them most. These "voices" say things like, "No matter what you've done, you're not good enough", "People let you down, why try to accomplish anything else?", "I've got you in this stronghold, good luck trying to get past this!". All of these voices are a tactic used to defeat, depress, and deter you from the purposes you should be fulfilling in your life. For me my voices consisted of fear, doubt, and disappointment. I was scared of the unknown, of what all I had to still accomplish, of what I was going to do in the face of the difficult things that I was going through. I was doubtful of how I'd find solutions to these circumstances. I was also disappointed by feeling a lack of support from specific people that I thought would be proud of some things I was accomplishing. These voices said to me, "Things are too hard, you've already worked so hard already, you're tired. Why not just quit?", "These problems you have--they are overwhelming! How can they be fixed?" "Your accomplishments must not be that important--no one cares anyway." Again, no literal voices said this to me, but these subtle attacks come indirectly to divert your attention from what you should be focusing on.
   So, what do you do? Think back to the lyrics I posted, the last four lines. Notice I bolded the words, "The Voice of Truth". That Voice is the One you need to focus on. The Voice of truth in my life is my Lord, my Saviour, Jesus Christ, and the Word of God that He gave for us to follow, and gave so He could speak to us. God is not the instigator of defeat, confusion, and fear. He does not speak to us in terms of what hard times are facing you, and what you can do about it, but about what He has power to do. When you are fearful, what does God say? Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" When you are doubtful, or worried, 1 Peter 5:7 says, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." When you are disappointed, go to the One Who does not disappoint, as written in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
   There are many, many different verses for various "voices" you may hear. The important thing to remember is that you will most certainly at some point in your life face an indirect attack that leave you with questions, feelings of defeat, maybe even a weight of something that seems overwhelming. But know where this attack comes from! Also know where to go to find help. God has many great things in His Word, things for any kind of voice you may be faced with. It is a guide, and will show you exactly what to do in the face of opposition. Don't listen to the voices of defeat; listen to the Voice of Truth. It is your choice, but I guarantee you, living in defeat won't lead to a victory.