The Power of a Whisper

This Sunday evening, I began leading a new Gateway Academy class called The Power of a Whisper.  It's a study derived from a book by Bill Hybels and delves into the importance of prompting ourselves to hear God speaking to us throughout the day.  Most of the time, God's words to us are subtle and easily missed. Unless we are in the constant practice of keeping ourselves open to the expectation of hearing from Him, we miss a lot of what He has to say to us.  

I began thinking a lot about this concept and how important this is to us as Life Group leaders.  So often, we get caught up with our own goals and ideas of leading a group, that we forget that it's only God's plan that really matters.  Our ideas might be original and our planes might be well intended, but if they aren't in line with what God wants us to do, we are in essence just spinning our wheels.  Before we do anything in terms of planning for our Life Groups, it's essential that we sit down and humbly ask God what His will is for our individual groups.  What does He want from us as leaders?


Well, if we think we're hearing form God on something significant, how can we be sure?  How do we know if it's really God speaking to us, or just our own will trying to creep in and do what we want?  Well, here's a good checklist that Bill Hybels lays out in his study, that helps us determine if God's whispers in our lives are genuine.

1.  Is it From God?  Basically, just spend some time in prayer and ask God if He is really speaking to you on whatever you have in mind.  We can trust in the fact that God doesn't want us misled.  He wants to keep us on the right path and wants us to get it right the first time.  So, if He is really speaking to us, just ask Him to make it crystal clear.

2.  Is it Scriptural?  After spending some time in prayer, if you feel that God is really speaking to you, spend some time asking yourself if it lines up with Scripture.  If it doesn't line up with what God says through His word, you can pretty much assume that it's not Him speaking to you.  You don't have to be a Bible scholar, so if you're having trouble finding out what Scripture says, just ask someone else who might have more experience.  You can even search Google and usually get some idea of where to go.

3.  Is it Wise?  Proverbs is literally dedicated to the seeking of Godly wisdom in our lives.  If there are any questions as to whether or not a certain path is wise or not, it's probably an indication that it's not coming from God.

4.  Is it in Tune with My Character?  God made all of us different. What might work for me as a leader will not work for you because our personalities are different.  Don't waste time worrying about what other leaders are doing.  Instead, spend time asking God how your individual personality, skills and talents line up with His will for you as a leader.  If you feel called to do something that is radically different than what you are wired for, it's probably a good idea to reconsider.  Yes, God does try to get us out of our comfort zones from time to time, but usually those instances follow our general character makeup.

5.  What do Trusted Friends Say About it?  It's always a good idea to seek wise council when dealing with most decisions in life.  If you think God is calling you in a particular direction with your Life Group, ask a few trusted friends or family members that know you.  If they have any hesitation about you following through, it's probably not God speaking to you.  For me personally, I always ask my wife to confirm what God might be saying to me.  She knows me better than I know myself and is usually dead on!  That can be quite annoying, but keeps me out of trouble.