Contents

God's Voice Patterns
by Roger Barrier
(from Leadership Journal, Fall 1994, pp.39-40)

Over the years I have developed a checklist to help me distinguish when God is speaking to me. I don't want to be led by my own imaginings. I certainly don't care to be fooled by Satan's temptations, accusations, or deceit.

The following list is not complete or foolproof. No one point, of course, is sufficient in itself to prove or disprove the voice of God. But these principles have helped me discern more accurately the voice of God.

God tends to speak gently. Remember how God spoke to Elijah? God was not in the whirlwind, earthquake, or the fire. "And after the fire came a gentle whisper," and God spoke in the whisper.

Whenever the voice within me drives and demands like a pushy, used-car salesman, God is not speaking. Many times I have discovered that my drivenness to minister for God has more to do with my own agenda than the prompting of God. Either self or Satan tend toward compulsive clamor and loud demands.

God is never pushy; he seldom urges sudden action without giving us time to reason through the issues.

God's voice produces freedom. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." How often I hear, "God gave me this heavy burden to reach this city for Christ." I used to pray for big burdens like that-but not any more! The city needs to be reached for Christ, but the burdened attitude may be more of a hindrance than a help. Satan loves to put people into bondage; God loves to set us free.

God tends to speak while we are consciously seeking him. I remember shaving one morning when I heard this voice tell me that the way to expand our church was to buy the six neighboring houses, bulldoze them and use the land for parking.

What a disaster that turned out to be! Remember the tenth commandment: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house" (KJV).

Later, while listening for God's Spirit, I sensed his leading in another building matter. This time I followed the promptings, and God opened several doors for us to purchase and pay off many acres of land.

Both self and Satan often inject thoughts or impressions into my mind when I'm not seeking God. But God's voice usually is heard when we're diligently listening for it.

God speaks with truth. I often say in moments of despair, "I'm no good" or "Nobody loves me" or "I can't do anything right." These are half-truths that come from either self or Satan, but not God.

In marriage counseling, I often meet Christians convinced that God has told them to marry a nonbeliever. That runs counter to God's Word. Whatever voice or prompting they hear is not God; God will neverand cannot-contradict his Word.

God convicts of specific sins. John 16:8 teaches that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. When God convicts us of sin, the sin is usually specific: "Yesterday at 4:00 p.m. you did such and such." I know exactly what I did and when I did it.

Self or Satan, on the other hand, brings a haunting guilt not tied to specific sins. I've often felt accused or had a nagging feeling of guilt. Why do I feel so guilty? I think. I don't know; I just feel guilty These feelings are not from God's Spirit. Often they are from the Accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10).

God does not confuse. When the trumpet of God sounds, it does not play confusing melodies. I finished seminary, I began looking to pastor full time. While I headed out the door to fly to Denver to candidate at a church, the phone rang. The call was from a pulpit committee in Tucson.

While talking on the phone, I had a deep impression that I was to pastor the church in Tucson. I hung up the phone, turned to my wife, Julie, and said, "We are going to pastor in Tucson."

"I know," she replied. "God told me the same thing while you were on the phone."

Within two weeks, we had moved to Tucson, and we've been there ever since. Since then, I've felt that clarity in other settings. When I feel confused or uncertain about something major, I tend to wait until God's will can be discerned more clearly. Satan, not God, is the author of confusion.

Today my runaway mind is under much better control than fifteen years ago when I was crying behind the couch. I still worry more than I'd like. But I no longer wonder whether I will survive ministry. I have fingernails again. My ulcers are gone. My blood pressure is down. I know how to relax.

Just ask my wife.