Either we press into an ever-deepening, hearing-from-God relationship, or we settle for someone else’s voice as the primary authority of our lives. It is a simple choice.
I have been enjoying a fresh read of Dallas Willard’s Hearing God in which he addresses this issue as squarely as I have heard it:
From the humility and generosity of his great heart, Moses said, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!” (Num 11:29). But this might be a mixed blessing, for one further serious objection to individual believers’ living in a conversational relationship with God comes from a feeling that this would lead to chaos in the church, the community of believers…
Such logic drives toward a hierarchy of authority and subordination and naturally results in one person’s speaking for God and thus enforcing conformity.
Willard goes on to say that the ‘redeemed community’ is meant to be made up of ‘living stones’ who live ‘in conversation with God.’ But, due to the hierarchy of religious structures, we too often find leadership is focused on ‘getting others to do as they are told.’
They [such leaders] will invariably turn to controlling the flock through their own abilities to organize and drive, all suitably clothed in a spiritual terminology and manner.
And, let us be honest, this happens because so many followers prefer giving this authority to someone else rather than take responsibility for the supreme task (and joy) of learning the ways and voice of God through our deepening relationship with Him.
As Willard says, “God has created us for intimate friendship with himself—both now and forever.”
When we grasp this, it becomes the central focus of our lives as we take on both the challenges and joys of developing such a friendship.
Today there is a desperate need for large numbers of people throughout various arenas of life to be competent and confident in their practice of life in Christ and in hearing his voice. Such people would have the effect of concretely redefining Christian spirituality for our times. They would show us an individual and corporate human existence lived freely and intelligently from a hand-in-hand, conversational walk with God. That is the biblical ideal for human life.
Isn’t this the very heart of the spiritual revolution that God is after for his people, the church, in this day?
Comments
3 responses to “Hearing God For Ourselves Or Depending on Others”
And true “spiritual direction”, anam cara as Patti and I prefer to call and practice it, is all about helping others hear God’s voice for themselves. No lectures or sermons but invitation given on behalf of the Lover of our souls.
This is very good you can’t stack living stones. The church is alive in the earth . And it is not trapped behind stain glass windows and the church is not lead by panty waist hirlings who are disqualified by The Lord simply because they are listening to thier wives and not The Lord of Glory most have no interpersonal relationship with Jesus . Most so called in America relate to The Lord through thier (Mothers) wives. The Lord has called us to gird up like men stop submitting to your wives and start submitting to The Lord. The word of The Lord has a lot to say about this. It takes Real Men to cut the moorings of woman worshipping religion and strike out on a walk by faith.
Willard has has expressed the reality of the priesthood of the believer. The early Church demonstrated this new normal practice and experience of living, moving and having their being in Him (Acts 17). The leaders and the people heard from God together, equally and without preference. This living relationship does NOT erase the gift of leadership, preaching, teaching and exhorting or any other Spiritual Gift to the Church. Hearing His voice promotes and affirms everything written in the Scriptures in both old and new testaments. If not we are not hearing from The Lord who gave us His written Word transmitted through holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Spirit. Hearing and living in Him is the relationship of the believer and the church with His Spirit (fully God) Whom Jesus said was even better than His physical presence. Hearing God does not take the believer out of community and make of him or her a lone person who no longer is linked or in mutual submission to spouses, other believers etc. The believer and church that hears Gods voice is simply living the life intended by the Living God and will also study, learn, honor, live and teach the Word of Jesus (The Scriptures) and never replace it with experience and the two will always confirm the truth communicated by God. We have a more sure Word of Prophecy, living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, able to penetrate to the bones and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. “He who has my Word and Keeps it, he it is who love Me…(Jesus)