(…continued…) We have to realize that the ‘little inner voice,’ prized by so many people, doesn’t get there all by itself. What is inside of us gets shaped and formed by what comes to us from the outside, from all the other voices we have heard over the years. We are bombarded every day by thousands of messages created by other lost people in advertising, entertainment, and the news. And as you know, these many other voices often present a world view and a way of living and a system of values that are not Christian, not helpful, and not true.
We are shaped by all these messages. That ‘inner voice’ does, in part, come from God. God has placed within us a conscience that can give us some guidance. But that conscience is not all that speaks in the inner voice. Also implanted into our minds are all the other messages and other voices that we have been exposed to over the years, and most of those messages are very different from what Jesus would say. It is those other messages that can get us lost and cause us pain.
When Jesus was here he fed people, healed people, and even raised people from the dead. But what he was doing most of the time was teaching people about God and His claim on our lives, about life and how it is best lived, and about death and the hope we have in God for life beyond the grave. These words of Jesus are the words that help lost people find their way.
Jesus was here in person for only a short time, and then he passed on that task of teaching to his followers. Right after Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit was given and the ministry of the church began, the very first thing the people did was devote themselves to the apostle’s teaching (Acts 2:42). Ever since then the church has been teaching the ways of God to lost and wandering people. We don’t ever get it completely right, and most of us do not come even close. But Christians do, in obedience to God’s command, gather each week to keep listening for another bit of God’s word. We don’t trust the inner voice. We go to church to hear the voice of Jesus to help us keep things clear.
We can so easily become like lost sheep. Jesus teaches us some things about life that we might otherwise forget. He would have us remember that we are not as in control as we might like to think. He would have us remember that our life comes from God and will one day return to God, and all the while, every day and every breath is in God’s hands. And, he would have us remember to be grateful to God. This is one of the most important keys to a life well lived– to realize that all of life is a gift, and to therefore approach life with gratitude for what you have received, and not resentment about you do not have. Jesus would also have us seek ways to serve others, not be jealous of them. He would want us to forgive others, and not attempt to get revenge or bear a grudge. All of this puts the voice of Jesus at odds with most of the many other voices around us and within us. We go to church to hear these words of Jesus to help us be a little clearer in our thinking about life. Learning from Jesus gives us an entirely different perspective on all of life, putting us on a firm foundation and a solid path, both now and forever. (continued…)
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Matthew 9:36 (NLT) — When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
John 14:6 — Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
Acts 2:42 — They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
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Pardon, O gracious Jesus, what we have been; and with your holy discipline, correct what we are; and by your providence order what we shall be. Amen.
–John Wesley
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