Now that our children are grown and we live in an empty nest, my husband and I get to enjoy the luxury of sleeping in on Saturday mornings. No more chirping little voices clamoring for attention and breakfast. No more adolescents awakening me with a tap on the shoulder to remind me that they require a ride to practice. Instead, we rise a bit (a lot?) later than usual, have breakfast, then tune the TV to one of the ubiquitous news stations to catch up on what has been going on in the world.
The Voices in my Head
The voices I hear there depress me; they make me miss the childlike tones that no longer fill my home, even if they sometimes were insistent, whiny, or shrill. These voices that speak to me from my television issue dire warnings. According to them, I am surrounded by enemies. “Beware,” they seem to say.
“People of a different race are the enemy.”
“Immigrants are the enemy.”
“Law enforcement officers are the enemy.”
“Addicted persons are the enemy.”
“Conservatives are the enemy.”
“Liberals are the enemy.”
“Moderates, because they refuse to take a stand, are the enemy.”
“Men are the enemy.”
“Women are the enemy.”
“Those who are confused about their gender identity are the enemy.”
“People of other religious faiths or traditions are the enemy.”
Even the very news agencies doing the reporting tell me I cannot trust the other news agencies doing the same.
If they are different from me, they are the enemy, I am told. “Be afraid” is the theme of the day.
Someone wants what you have. Someone hates you. Someone will take and destroy what is rightfully yours. Someone is out to get you.
So many persistent and incessant voices scream for our attention to the point that it is no wonder that so many people accept this message as Truth and join in the fear-mongering, their own voices then mingling with the others, adding to the cacophony until it rings in our ears and drowns out the sweet, sobering voice of the Holy Spirit.
Choose the Spirit’s Voice
The Spirit’s voice is a gentle whisper in the soul.
He doesn’t scream for my attention; He desires that I choose to tune out the other voices so that I can hear Him. And if I’m ever in doubt about which voice is imparting Truth, I can open the Spirit-breathed scriptures and test the messages I hear.
Ephesians chapter 6 reminds us who the real enemy is. We are not in a battle with “flesh and blood” at all. Our fight is against “the spiritual forces of evil.” The devil, the “father of lies,” himself, is the prompting behind all the voices we hear urging us to be at enmity with one another. He fills the air with the noise of deceit and discord and drowns out the Spirit’s voice Which desires to lead us back to the path of Jesus Who said,
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
We are to “turn the other cheek,” and “give” but “do not demand it back.” “Blessed are you” when you are under attack. Although it is contrary to what the world’s voices would have us believe, “Love your neighbor as yourself” is still the second greatest command. When asked to clarify just who a “neighbor” is, Jesus related the parable of the good Samaritan to remind us that no one, not even one we might consider an enemy, may be exempted from our love.
Even though we cannot turn off the dissonance of the angry voices around us, we can choose to open our hearts to the One voice which will never deceive us and will never tell us anything contrary to God’s will. His voice will prompt us to works of love and righteousness, not hate and strife.
Listen. What is He telling you today?
