[x_custom_headline type=”left” level=”h1″ looks_like=”h1″]Hearing Accessories[/x_custom_headline]
That’s what we call them. Coming up with a fancy name for our fashionista 7 year old was just a small way to make hearing aids a touch more fun. As her dad, I always want the best for her. But sometimes the best is complicated. Hearing aids would help but they come with a price. Most kids don’t have earmolds and most of us are really good at pointing out differences. I want her to develop properly and hearing aides help this, but there can be a cost on self-esteem as well. Sometimes doing the right thing brings complications.
[x_pullquote cite=”Leonard Sweet, Jesus Speaks” type=”left”]”Doubt began to creep in, muffling your eardrums as well as mugging your dreams.”[/x_pullquote]
Finally the day came. Emery got her hearing accessories–she designed the color scheme herself. The light in her eyes as they turned on for the first time still warms my heart. She glowed. The voices she had been hearing her whole life were finally not muffled. Crisp and clear. Those of us without hearing issues have difficulty grasping the gift of clarity in hearing.
As followers of Jesus it can easily feel like we are hearing impaired. How do you know when you are hearing the voice of the Lord? Too often, His voice is muffled and the voices of the world and the whispers of the evil one are more amplified. How do we develop the muscles to tune out the distractive and destructive voices in order to tune into the voice of the Shepherd?
I offer these two hearing accessories to help you tune into the Lord’s voice.
1. The Word of God. Opening your Bible and reading it is the very first step in connecting and tuning into the voice of God. I get that this can be challenging. However, every indicator and study points to personal discovery and discussion with a few people, centered around the Word, is the key indicator of maturing in Christ. Hearing the voice of the Lord starts with reading the voice of the Lord as revealed in the Old and New Testaments. Continue to look for some simple and practical tips for personal engagement with the Bible. We start with the Word of God because it is something external to us.
2. Faithful Followers of Jesus. There are people in my life who have an ability to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit in incredible ways. They reek of Jesus and it is a beautiful aroma. I do my best to be in their presence and let some of their faithfulness rub off on me. Just like a broke person doesn’t change their behavior by doing what other broke people do, they look for wealthy folks and mimic their behaviors. So too, we ought to follow the faithful ways and practices of faithful and fruitful people. How do you find those people? I start by looking for the fruit. Is their life congruent with the fruits of the Spirit? Is the seed of faith that has been planted in them growing and spilling out into planting seeds in others?
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