Thanksgiving is a special time of year. We get a chance to slow down and bask in the company of family and friends we don’t see very often. We go down memory lane to re-live times we spent with loved ones that have passed on and we get the chance to see and hear what is happening in the lives of those we care about. After each holiday, Joy and I always talk about what we learned and heard. It’s amazing what each of us hears that the other doesn’t. It’s hard to listen to everything being said in a crowded room much less a crowded and busy life.
The book of Acts tells us how believers lived 2000 years ago and is a template for how we can still live today. Christ had ascended into heaven and Christians were given the Holy Spirit to speak and direct their hearts and actions….the same set of facts we live with today. The biggest difference between then and now seems to be the early believers HEARD the Spirit better, recognized His voice, engaged in two way conversations and were obedient to what the Spirit told them. Maybe we need to change our conversational protocol to mirror the early church. This would include the thoughts and ideas that come into our hearts and minds from the Holy Spirit.
Acts 9 is the story of Paul’s conversion on the Damascus Road. The Lord SPOKE to Ananias in a vision and gave him specific instructions on where to go, what to do and who to see. Ananias knew of the man the Holy Spirit was speaking about and that to do as God instructed meant risking his life. Ananias spoke back to the voice he heard. ‘ “Lord.” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” ‘ Acts 9:13-14. In other words, I don’t like what you’re saying and it sounds like I could get killed doing what you’re telling me to do.
Do you ever have a thought come into your head that sounds flat out crazy and you wonder where it came from? If you do, do you speak back to that voice or do you just wonder where ‘that’ came from? Do you pass the thought off as your own, evaluate the validity of the thought or if it fits into your schedule and what you want to do? How many times has someone or something come to your mind that later bears out in an encounter or a circumstance and you ponder how ironic and coincidental it was? Could it be you don’t know how to differentiate between your own voice and the Holy Spirit?
For starters, dead men don’t talk. ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20. Paul was a master at understanding the practicality of being a Christian. When we accept Jesus into our lives, we die to ourselves. Therefore, the first voice you hear is from who is alive inside you and not the dead man. Next time, engage in a conversation like Ananias did. Try actually speaking back to the thoughts you have and see where they come from. The ideas you have, the voices you hear in your head come from one of two spirits, evil or Holy. It’s not too hard to recognize which voice you hear if you know what you’re looking for.
When the Holy Spirit speaks, you may not like what you hear, but don’t stop there. ‘But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”‘ Acts 9:15-16. At first blush Ananias thought he was being led to the slaughter. Once he engaged in a conversation, he learned the meaning of what he was being asked to do. It may make obedience easier or harder, but that’s not the point is it? This is where believers get into the good stuff. Do I really live by faith and trust in Him or my own understanding? Do I put my will before His and acknowledge Him in everything? Proverbs 3:5-7 comes to mind.
The point is learning to listen to and recognize HIS voice so that we don’t miss the rich fullness He has for us in everyday life. We HAVE died so why do we keep thinking and acting like everything is about us. The Holy Spirit is talking to us every day and IF you want to see miracles for yourself and those around you, it is critical to know His voice and engage in conversation. More importantly, be obedient to what the Holy Spirit says. There is NO risk, you’re already dead.
For Christ followers, death is short, life lasts forever. When you gather at Thanksgiving listen up and find out what is happening in the lives of those you care about. Listen for the Holy Spirit with the same attentiveness and hear Him out. Listen to Him like you do your family at Thanksgiving. On second thought, listen to Him better than you do your family. And when the Holy Spirit does speak to you, is it a command or just a thought for you to consider?
At Thanksgiving, the Holy Spirit may have something to tell you about your loved ones that sounds just as crazy as what He told Ananias years ago…and just as important. If you are a Christ follower, there is no such thing as irony or coincidence, including His voice in your head and heart. Act boldly like Ananias and have faith in what you hear.