«And after the fire a still small voice» (1 Kings 19:12, NKJV).
My friend Belinda had given me a beautiful shawl with brown and turquoise flowers. But the first day I wore it, I noticed it reflected my sister’s style more than my own. Without a second thought, I folded it and placed it on my bed, to give to my sister the next time I saw her. Right then, Jesus told me, «Did you notice how it is not hard for you to give your sister anything, how you would do anything for her? I feel the same way toward you!» Tears ran down my cheeks; could it be true God loved me that much?
Satan has made sure to make us think God is more interested in punishing us than in hugging us. Since we have internalized that merciless and punitive image, many of us confuse the voice of the inner critic with the voice of the Holy Spirit. In her book Discerning the Voice of God, Priscilla Shirer provides guidelines for recognizing God’s voice, «If the message you hear condemns you, or is based on fear and intimidation, and makes you feel unworthy and rejected, then it is not the voice of God, who loves you. It is the voice of the enemy, who tries to use your vulnerability to deceive you.»
The tragedy is that if we do not learn to recognize God’s voice, we will accept the enemy’s voice instead. Just as Priscilla Shirer teaches, «Learning to recognize the difference between the enemy’s condemning voice and God’s convincing voice is a great tool to determine God’s direction for your life.»
The inner critic shouts to us from within; it is judgmental and cruel; it leads us to despair, depression and bad decision making. The enemy’s voice makes us stray from God, to doubt whether He still loves us. The Spirit’s voice is a still small voice and leads us to hope. Even when the Spirit convinces us of sin, He always encourages us by reminding us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. The Spirit’s voice brings life. «Consider the conclusion of what you are hearing,» the author advices. «When you reduce it to its essence, do you feel God’s love and tenderness? Or do you hear the accusatory tone of the enemy of your soul instead?»
Lord, help me to recognize the verbal assaults of the inner critic.
Help me to disarm its arguments with the truth of Your Word. Train my spiritual ears to recognize the Spirit’s whispers.
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate.
