Noise

“And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” 1st Kings ‭19:11-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The world around me is full of all sorts of loud voices trying to get my attention. And in my experience, the loudest ones are the ones worth listening to. When God spoke to Elijah, he did so with what is described as a "gentle whisper." That is generally how wisdom comes to me. Whether it is God's voice or the counsel and advice of a trusted friend or relative, the words I need to hear the most are the ones I have to make an effort to listen to. 

I have learned that no matter how many "friends" I have, there are only a select few that I can turn to when I need sound advice. The first one on my list is the woman I am blessed to call my wife. She is a voice of encouragement, love, character, and godly wisdom when I need it the most. I have a few other close friends and relatives that I can count on for the same learned counsel when I need it and it is a blessing to have honest feedback when I need it the most. 

But I wouldn't be honest if I didn't tell you that I have allowed others to affect me too. The opinion of the "crowd" has affected my decisions and sometimes weighs more than it should. There is no shortage of internal voices either. The voices of ambition, wealth, revenge, greed, pleasure, compromise, and self centeredness scream loudly inside my heart. In one respect or another, all these voices are simply expressing the way I view the world around me. And they can be noisy and relentless. They can affect me in ways I never intended them to. But in order to hear true wisdom, I have to ignore some pretty loud words and listen to the ones that are harder to hear. 

I have to learn to tune into the quiet, still voice of the Holy Spirit that consistently speaks truth into my life. Just like when I was learning to shoot a basketball, practicing for hours in the driveway of our central Alabama home, I have to spend time in God's word, listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit to speak to me in His gentle whisper. But I also have to learn to trust the counsel of those whom I place my trust: My wife, Hannah, my parents and other family members, and my close friends. These folks know me inside and out. They have been with me on top of the mountains and down in the valleys. They have seen me win and saw me lose. And unlike the other voices that shout down at me for my attention, they actually want whats best for me. They have earned the right to be heard in my life. Their words are faithful and I know that I can trust and depend on their honesty.