You Heard THE Voice?

What started as basically “the other” American Idol has grown into a ratings behemoth that is just plain unscripted fun.  The Voice took the idea of a singing competition, and added the drama of the swivel chair and gladiator style knockout rounds, and the people have responded!

Would you ever want to try out for The Voice?  If so, which judge would you want to pick you?  Adam is obviously a favorite of more than just a few of the female folk, but I think hanging out with Blake Sheldon for an extended period of time might just alter your worldview a bit!

But how would you like to be a judge on the show?  What kind of voice would it take for you to turn around? And once you did, would you be worried that you made a mistake?

Voices are kind of a big deal, aren’t they?  Not just singing voices, but the ones that we hear every day…

…there are voices that encourage us.
…there are voices that discourage us.
…there are voices of joy and hope.
…there are voices of sadness and despair.

And most of all, we hate our own voice when we hear a recording of it— right?

But deep down, I think most of us feel like we are sitting in a chair, waiting for the right voice to come along so we can turn around and find the relationship we’ve been looking for.  On The Voice, this is all about launching someone into stardom, but for us, it is about finding the one who will be the voice we want to follow the rest of our lives.

Some follow the voice of shame, others the voice of insecurity.  Then there are those who think they follow the voice of success, but it will ultimately lead them to failure.

But may I introduce you to THE Voice?  See if these words don’t resonate with your soul:

The shepherd walks openly through the entrance. The guard who is posted to protect the sheep opens the gate for the shepherd, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When all the sheep have been gathered, he walks on ahead of them; and they follow him because they know his voice. The sheep would not be willing to follow a stranger; they run because they do not know the voice of a stranger. All who approached the sheep before Me came as thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not listen to their voices. I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be liberated, will go in and go out, and will find pastures. The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy; I came to give life with joy and abundance (John 10:1-5; 8-10, The Voice).

These words of Jesus are a metaphor for the relationship we have with Him if we have trusted in His death and resurrection for forgiveness and salvation.  For the Christ follower, Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and we know His voice.

But did you notice that He also talked about the voice of the stranger and the thief?  Those are the voices of the world that tell us we have to earn God’s love, or that we can never be forgiven.

Ultimately, the stranger is the voice of Satan, who is trying to do everything he can to keep us from following our Shepherd.  His voice may be alluring at first, but it will lead to destruction and death.

When we do choose to listen to the voice of Jesus, He leads us as His sheep into safety, protection, and provision.  We may not like being referred to as livestock, but one quick study of the human race will show that spiritually speaking, we are as defenseless, helpless and confused as those furry little mammals.  We’ve wandered off on our own, and we think that we can survive without protection.

But the truth is, we need our Good Shepherd.  He loved us so much that He gave His life as a sacrifice for our sin, and when we “turn around” at the sound of His voice, we will find a peace and security that no stranger, or even any other person on earth, can provide.

So how about you?  Have you heard THE Voice?  Have you responded?  And if so, what about all your friends and family who are still wandering around as lost sheep?  Let them know that they can find true peace and security in Jesus Christ.

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

The next time you see your friends or family members who don’t know Jesus, think of them as people sitting in a chair listening for the right “voice” to come along.  Don’t hesitate to share with them how you turned your chair around in response to the voice of Jesus, and found peace, security and a purpose for living.

Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause

Pray: Dear Jesus, thank You for being the Good Shepherd who guides and protects us.  Help us to listen for Your voice so we won’t fall prey to the false promises of strangers and thieves.

Read: Revelation 3:22. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Get:  ShareWear. Did you know that Dare 2 Share’s apparel line of shirts and hoodies is designed to help you initiated God-talk with your friends who need Jesus? Check it out, and pick up a tee or hoodie that will help you get a spiritual conversation going!