Enough!
Enough has a lot of uses in the English language. You may have heard someone say, “Enough is enough” meaning they have taken all they can take. Or possibly they might say, “I’ve had enough” after their third helping of BBQ. But…when is enough really enough? When you are faced with problems or major decisions in life, what do you do?
I heard a great sermon today from Brady Boyd. He pastors a large church in Colorado Springs and used to be on staff at Gateway Church. Today…he was at Milestone Church in Keller as a guest pastor, and he was preaching on hearing God. A lot of people want to hear God, but many are confused at how to actually hear Him. I admit when someone says, “God told me to _______” I wonder if God really told them or not. I do believe that God speaks to us but how do you really hear Him? How do you know it is God?
Here are some takeaways from the sermon today:
- God in intentional and persistent in wanting to have dialog with us. That is a good thing, as He does not just write us off when we rebel or refuse to listen to Him.
- God helps us hear Him! He gave us the Holy Spirit to help guide us and understand Him.
- When God becomes a priority, you will hear Him. The problem is that too many people see God as just another source of information. He is not Google…He is God. His knowledge is complete and always accurate.
Grady gave a great example of knowing God’s voice. He likened it to knowing his wife and her voice. Because Grady and his wife have been married for many years, he knows her voice completely and intimately…and that is because he made her a priority in his life many years ago. He has no competing women vying for his attention. The same goes for God. When we make Him a priority, we hear Him.
John 10:27 says: My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.
That is great news for people searching for God. Here is what I know about God. He is not just enough, He is MORE than enough! Whatever problems you have with relationships, with work, with money, with health, with temptations, etc., God is more than enough to help us, guide us, provide for us, and encourage us. God’s love is unending and complete, and He gives a peace passes our understanding.
One thing that I know for sure is that God wants to have relationship with each of us, but He is waiting for us to open the door of our heart to Him. Opening the door, however, is just the beginning. Once He walks through the open door, then it is a matter of us developing a relationship with Him. That takes effort and commitment on our part. He is more than enough for whatever we need, but He is not a genie in a bottle either. God expects us to love Him and obey Him. He expects us to love our neighbor as our self. God is all about relationship.
It really is not complicated. Grady gave us a 30 day challenge: Every day for the next 30 days, pray this prayer first thing in the morning, “Come Holy Spirit!” This is not magic, it is just inviting the Spirit of God to help you start your day. I like that. In this crazy world we live in…I need all the help I can get. How about you? Are you up for the challenge?
P.S. You can also hear God by reading the Bible. Just ask the Holy Spirit to help you hear Him. His Word is amazing and it will be a light to your path.
Shalom!
Daniel Skognes