Hearing His Voice #172

The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:6, NIV

No one has to tell a lion to roar. It just does. Why? Because that’s its nature. So when we strain to obey God’s voice and find it difficult, we are demonstrating something about our relationship to His Word: It’s not our nature. Clearly that’s often true; we are in a lifelong process of transformation. But this is not ideal. Our goal is to grow out of that condition so that hearing from God is really a matter of being in Him. We want to “roar”—or serve or talk or follow His guidance—not just because He tells us to, but because it’s our nature.

The letter can’t accomplish that, but the Spirit can. Sadly, however, many Christians aren’t continually being filled and directed by the Spirit. Most of us tend to revert to living in our own strength. We hear God’s Word and set about to do it—on our own. We forget the God-given process. We are to reject our own strengths and abilities, rest in His Spirit, rely on His strength and abilities, become transformed—not by doing things, but by intimacy with Him—and then live “naturally” according to the new nature that God is working within us. That’s a deep and weighty process, but it isn’t a difficult one. The yoke of Jesus is easy, and His burden is light. He lives within us so we don’t have to carry the weight of life ourselves. His Spirit gives us the life we need in order to really live.

That’s the difference between religion and relationship—the contrasts we so often point out but rarely experience fully and consistently. We fall back on religion far too easily. But if we can repeatedly and single-mindedly focus on God—if we can develop a Godward gaze and depend on His life within us—our inner nature will be powerfully transformed. And we will experience the Spirit who gives life.

Holy Spirit, plant Your words in me like seeds that spring to life. Let my inner nature flourish. Let Your deepest thoughts become my deepest thoughts. Live strong within me, and let me rest in Your efforts.