Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Newton’s third law of motion. Remember that from science class? I know not all of science has caught up to Scripture, but this one I think holds true.
Everything we do, say, post, share, etc. does one of two things. It either draws us and those around us closer to God. Or it pushes us and those around us farther away from God. Either way, the things we do have a natural consequence, whether good or bad.
When our thoughts are not rooted in the truths of Scripture, when our opinions are not built on solid theology, when our lives are not anchored to the firm foundation of Jesus, we are just more loud noise in an already too-loud culture. Loud noise is a distraction. Loud noise is startling, not comforting.
That seemingly “nice” post you made on social media the other day…although it sounds nice, are you unconsciously leading people away from God with a simple statement that simply isn’t true? That isn’t rooted in the truth of Scripture or the truth of who God is?
That opinion you made known round the world in your loudest voice…although it’s how you feel, did you trample over people or cancel them just to make yourself feel heard or your beliefs to feel valid or valued?
That comment you made to your husband the other day…although he really “deserved” that off-hand remark, did you build him up and encourage him, spurring him on to do better, or did you really just speak death over his spirit to make yourself feel better? Just for the sake of “being right?”
So many times we accidently lead ourselves and those around us away from God. We don’t even realize we are wandering off and others are following closely behind. We are sheep. Sheep are prone to wander. But, like sheep, we also need to recognize the voice of our Good Shepherd.
When we start to “get away” from God, we need to learn to listen for His voice, calling us back to Himself. He still speaks, but we need to be listening.
That thing inside of you that made you think twice before you hit “post” was His voice.
That thing inside of you that made you think about biting your tongue was His voice.
That thing inside of you that made you think if your words were too harsh was His voice.
We hear it, yet…we do the things we ought not to do anyway.
The Apostle Paul says this, “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” (Romans 7:14-20 NIV)
That’s a whole lot of doing, and not doing, and doing what we don’t want to do, and not doing what we want to do.
Confused?
All Paul was trying to say is he knows what he should do…yet, he does what he knows he shouldn’t do. It seems all backward. But all these years later, we are still doing the very same thing. Sin is at work in us.
But God.
He is also at work in us. And that is why we struggle. There is a very real battle going on in our hearts and minds every day. A war that is raging within us. Between God working in our hearts by grace through faith. And evil within us working by sin through flesh.
As we submit to the flesh and sin, we drift away from God. We wander off. His voice gets quieter. But as we submit to his voice of grace, we draw closer to Him. We snuggle up. His voice gets louder.
In an already too-loud culture, the only loud thing we need more of is the voice of God. We need to get so close to Him, that His voice is the only one we hear. It speaks over the too-loud noise, yet, it is still soft and gentle and quiet.
I’ve found over the years of my parenting that yelling never elicits the reaction or response I desire. No, in fact, it often has the opposite effect. When I really want my kids to listen well, I whisper. In the intimate space that a whisper requires, they must get close, lean in, and really listen. Distractions fall away because they are keen to hear “the secret” of the intimate space.
God’s voice comes in a whisper. The roaring Lion is still quiet. It requires us to lean in. To listen above the noise. To draw close. The intimate relationship we develop with our Father in this way keeps us close. There is a safety to leaning in to the Father. The gentleness of the whisper (over the roar of a yell) is what lulls us in closer and closer.
From this place, we speak. From this place, we share. From this place, we teach. When we say, do, post, and share in this same quiet way, we lull people around us closer to God.
I think of a gentle bay, with a boat tied to the dock. When the waters are quiet, the boat stays tucked in close to the dock. When the waters roar, the boat rocks and drifts away. And anyone in the boat, like the people in your life watching and listening, drift away with you.
Truth is our anchor. We tie ourselves to God at the dock and we tie ourselves in place with the anchor of Scripture. When life gets loud and the waves start throwing us around, we keep close to the Father. We keep those with us and around us close to the Father.
Do you find yourself drifting away today? Are you questioning the things you’ve been posting on social media? Are you feeling guilty about the words you spoke too loudly or in anger? Are you wondering if that opinion is really in line with God’s word? It’s never too late to draw close and to lean back into the Father.
He is full of grace and forgiveness. He is gentle and kind. He loves you and wants you close. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. So, lean in and listen. God still whispers your name.
“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:21-25 NIV)
Word Filled Woman 