Former Blackout Artist

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. – John 10:27

One afternoon I met a friend for lunch who was going through an incredibly difficult season. For the first ten minutes, I listened as he unloaded his frustrations. Life wasn’t fair. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong. Even his own family, he said, had turned against him.

Finally, I interrupted him.

“I have a message from God for you,” I said. “And He sent me to deliver it.”

So, for the next several minutes, I reminded him of another mutual friend—someone he knew well—who was carrying an even heavier burden, yet had somehow maintained joy and perspective. Then I drove home what I thought was God’s message.

“Dude, your real problem isn’t your circumstances—it’s your attitude. You see everything as a problem instead of an opportunity for God to grow your faith.”

Lunch ended almost immediately. He tossed some money on the table, stood up, and said, “Please pay my bill. This is the last thing I need to hear right now.” Then he walked out.

Amazingly (miraculously!), we’re still friends today. That’s due far more to his grace than my wisdom.

A few months later—and I don’t believe it was a coincidence—I began reading the book of Job. As I watched Job’s friends lecture him with absolute confidence about what God was doing, I caught myself thinking, Thank God I’m not like them.

Almost as quickly as the thought entered my mind, the Holy Spirit brought that lunch with my friend rushing back to my memory.

Now that may have been a message from God.

To me.

Many sincere Christians make this same mistake. We have a thought, a feeling, or an opinion, and before long we’ve convinced ourselves that God must have said it. We champion our own ideas with, “The Lord told me…” when, in reality, the Lord may have said nothing at all.

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Notice that He doesn’t say His sheep imagine His voice or presume His voice. They know it.

How?

Because sheep learn to recognize the shepherd’s voice by spending time with the shepherd. They hear it so often that they can distinguish it from every other voice. In the same way, believers who regularly immerse themselves in God’s Word become increasingly familiar with the character, tone, and truth of God’s voice. They learn to recognize what sounds like Christ—and what doesn’t.

God’s voice will never contradict His Word. It will never flatter our pride, excuse our sin, or promote our personal agenda. It is always marked by truth, holiness, wisdom, and love.

Before declaring, “God told me,” we should first ask, “Is this truly God’s voice, or is it simply my own?” Learning the difference may save us from misleading others, deceiving ourselves…

And possibly even save a friendship.