How Do We Recognize God’s Voice?

Pete Grieg was stranded in Chicago. All airplanes were grounded by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano, and he couldn’t get home to England. He asked God what he should do with his extra time. Several friends had invited him to stay with them, but as he prayed, he found himself thinking of a friend who lived 150 miles west in Madison, Wisconsin.

So he emailed him. “Hey, I’m in Chicago. Can I come crash on your couch?” 

Pete did not know that Joe had just received terrible news, nor that his wife had asked, “Who do you wish you had on your couch right now?”

Joe had replied, “I wish Pete was on my couch, but I know that’s crazy because he’s in England, and he’s never even been to our home.”

Within hours, Pete was on Joe’s couch.

Often God’s guidance comes to us disguised as an ordinary thought. Pete Grieg said he asks himself two questions before acting on any such impulse:

1. Is this like Jesus? If I obeyed this idea, would the result reflect Christ? Is it the sort of thing He would do?

2. What’s the worst that could happen if I were to get this wrong? If it would be a disaster, it’s time to pray, get advice from others, and take time to discern what God wants. It’s wise to be wary of words that are harsh, heavy, or directional.

When he was in Chicago, he wasn’t confident the thought of visiting Joe had come from the Lord, but it passed those two criteria. Visiting a friend and eating in his home seemed like the kind of thing Jesus would do. If it didn’t work out, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Dear Jesus, help us to recognize when the thoughts and impulses are from You. ... “Blessed…are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28).