Whose Voice Am I Listening To?

In review of Proverbs 1:7 it says, “Start with God, the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.”

Bottom Line:

Having reverence and taking God seriously is the entry point for knowledge, for only a fool would reject wisdom and good advice.

What this means to me:

The first step for me to go from folly into wisdom is when I take God seriously. If I don’t take God seriously then I’m rejecting true wisdom and learning.

There have been times in my life when after establishing a goal for my life when I think or even hear others say “You should hold off or be careful”, or “It can't be done” or “You should just forget about it”.

The antidote to listening to the voices of doubt is for me to listen intently to the voice of God. The story of Noah brings to mind the tons of critics and self doubt Noah faced. I’m sure some would say, “That guy Noah thinks God speaks to him, but he's just messing up all of our property values by building that ark in his front yard.”

However the Bible tells me that Noah listened to God. He heard God's warning that the world was going to be destroyed. He believed what he had not yet seen. That's what faith is, being certain of something we don't see.

So Noah didn’t turn back on the vision God had given him. Instead, he moved forward and built the ark.

God is likely going to give me some specific goals for my life, and some people may think it’s pretty crazy. I need to stay focused on what I know God has said through his Word, the Bible. Then, I’ve got to go build my ark!

I think because of my tendency to be a private person, I usually do not receive as much criticism about my goals because I tend to keep them private. What I face more is my own self doubt and fear of pursuing a goal; especially if it means opening myself up or taking risks socially. I need to ask God for more courage to start opening myself up and taking social interacting risks. Also, it won’t hurt for me to spend more time with God just listening for his voice.  

Overall the the antidote to listening to the voices of doubt in my life is for me to listen to the voice of God. I need to believe and be certain of that which I don't see. I should stay focused on what God has said to me through his Word.